This means a second thing happens right after a first thing. It shows almost no time passed between them. It can feel sudden or surprising.
Verb [dictionary form] + か + Verb [ない-form] + かのうちにPrimary
This means a second thing happens right after a first thing. It shows almost no time passed between them. It can feel sudden or surprising.
駅に着くか着かないかのうちに、電車は発車してしまった。
The train departed the very instant I arrived at the station.
彼はベッドに横になるかならないかのうちに眠ってしまい、結局宿題をしなかった。
He fell asleep the moment he lay down on the bed, and in the end, he didn't do his homework.
言い終わるか終わらないかのうちに、彼女は部屋を飛び出していった。
She stormed out of the room before I had even finished speaking.
社長が席に着くか着かないかのうちに、重要な議題が提示された。
An important topic was presented the moment the company president took his seat.
ベルが鳴るか鳴らないかのうちに教室を飛び出す彼が、今日に限って静かに座っている。
He, who usually bolts from the classroom the instant the bell rings, is sitting quietly today of all days.
This grammar shows two things happen almost at the same time. It is like one thing starts, and the next thing happens before the first one is even finished. It's a very quick moment, like a blink of an eye.
This is like "~ta totan ni." But it shows things happen at the exact same time. "~ta totan ni" means one thing finishes, then the next starts. This pattern means the second thing happens so fast the first might not be done. It is very similar to "~ga hayai ka" and "~ya inaya." Those are also formal ways to say it.
Don't use this when you want someone to do something. For example, you cannot say "Open the door the instant you arrive."
Often confused with(1)
Contrasts with(2)
More formal alternatives(3)
Track your mastery
Kumi's KMT system tracks your mastery across kanji, vocabulary, grammar, and reading. Create a free account to use it on 220,000+ concepts.