他在五年前，也就是十二歲的時候來了東京。

He came to Tokyo five years ago, that is to say, when he was twelve years old.

Source: Tatoeba

Sentence Composition

1 他 tā
  1. (third-person singular) (since the early 20th century, usu. male) he; him; his
  2. (bound form) other; another; some other (as in 他日 tārì and 他人 tārén)
2 在 zài
  1. to exist; to be alive
  2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at
  3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
3 五 wǔ
  1. five
  2. 5
4 年前 niánqián
  1. by the end of the year
  2. at the end of the year; shortly before New Year
5 也就是 yějiùshì in other words; i.e.
=6 十二 shíèr
  1. twelve
  2. 12
=6 十二 shí'èr twelve; 12
7 歲 suì
  1. classifier for years (of age)
  2. year
  3. year (of crop harvests)
=8 的 de
  1. of; ~'s (possessive particle)
  2. (used after an attribute when it modifies a noun)
  3. (used at the end of a declarative sentence for emphasis)
  4. (used after a noun, verb or adjective to form a nominal expression, as in 皮革的 pígéde "one made of leather" or 跑堂儿的 pǎotángrde "a waiter (literally, one who runs back and forth in a restaurant)" or 新的 xīnde "new one")
  5. also pr. dì or di in poetry and songs
=8 的 dī a taxi; a cab (abbr. for 的士 dīshì)
=8 的 dí really and truly
=8 的 dì (bound form) bull's-eye; target
9 時候 shíhou
  1. time
  2. length of time
  3. moment
  4. period
10 來 lái
  1. to come
  2. (used as a substitute for a more specific verb)
  3. hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回来 huílai)
  4. ever since (as in 自古以来 zìgǔyǐlái)
  5. for the past (amount of time)
  6. (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 来世 láishì)
  7. (between two verbs) in order to
  8. (after a round number) approximately
  9. (used after 得 dé to indicate possibility, as in 谈得来 tándelái, or after 不 bù to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不来 chībulái)
=11 了 le
  1. (completed action marker)
  2. (modal particle indicating change of state, situation now)
  3. (modal particle intensifying preceding clause)
=11 了 liǎo
  1. to finish
  2. (used with 得 dé or 不 bù after a verb to express (im)possibility, as in 忘不了 wàngbuliǎo "cannot forget")
  3. (literary) (usually followed by a negative such as 无 wú or 不 bù) completely (not); entirely (not); (not) in the least
  4. to understand clearly (variant of 了 liǎo)
=11 了 liǎo
  1. (of eyes) bright
  2. clear-sighted
  3. to understand clearly
=11 了 liào unofficial variant of 瞭 liào
12 東京 Dōngjīng
  1. Tokyo, capital of Japan
  2. Tonkin (northern Vietnam during the French colonial period)