What is the difference between 时候 and 时间?
Tuttle Learners

时间


  a period of time
  
  时间不够, 我没做完那道练习。  
  
  Shíjiān bú gòu, wǒ méi zuòwán nà dào liànxí. As there
  
  wasn't enough time, I did not finish that exercise.
  
  我没有时间写信。  
  
  Wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān xiě xìn. 
  
  I don't have time to write letters.


时候


  [compound: 时 time + 候 a certain point in time]
  NOUN a certain point in time, (the time) when
  
  飞机什么时候开？  
  
  Fēijī shénme shíhou kāi? When will the plane depart?
  
  他来的时候, 我正在打电话。  
  
  Tā lái de shíhou, wǒ zhèngzài dǎ diànhuà. 
  
  I was on the phone when he came.


时候 = time in general (what time does something happen, times up, duration of time).

什么时候 can even be translated directly as when in English.

时间 ＝ THE time (like; what's THE time, THE time in Beijing is..., I didn't have THE time).

什么时间, on the other hand, is seldom used.



The sentence you gave up top, ni3 chi1 shen2me shi2jian1, is like writing "You eat what the time?"

What you want to say is something like: 你什么时候吃饭