“nari” Meaning & Usage — As Soon As 〜 / Whether 〜 or 〜 [JLPT N1]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

“Went to sleep as soon as he got home,” “by phone or email” — nari's two uses, with examples. (JLPT N1)

「家に帰るなり、寝てしまった」 — the instant one …, immediately …

In fiction you often meet 「彼は家に帰るなり、倒れるように寝てしまった (the moment he got home, he fell straight asleep)」 — 「〜なり」 has two uses: ①「dictionary form ＋ なり」 = the instant ～, immediately (the first act happens, the second follows almost simultaneously); ②「〜なり〜なり」 = ～ or ～ (listing options). This guide centers on use ① “the instant ～” (with in-depth notes on subject, register, and confusable traps); use ②'s listing is covered in the dedicated 〈なり〜なり〉. It also separates it from 「とたん」「や否や」「次第.」

Core: the instant ～, immediately (the first act happens, the second follows at once)

「verb dictionary form ＋ なり」 means “the instant ～, (immediately) ～” — the first act happens, and the second follows almost simultaneously, right after, often with a narrative feel of “unexpected, involuntary”:

• 子供は母親の顔を見るなり、わっと泣き出した (the instant the child saw its mother's face, it burst out crying).
• 彼はそれを聞くなり、部屋を飛び出していった (the moment he heard it, he dashed out of the room).
• 席に着くなり、彼女は話し始めた (the instant she sat down, she began to talk).

Feel: the core is “the first act happens, the second follows at once,” the two with almost no time gap. It's mostly to narrate someone (a third person)'s sudden, involuntary reaction, dramatic and narrative, common in fiction and news. (The other use, 「〜なり〜なり = listing options,」 is in 〈なり〜なり〉.) In English: “the instant ～, the moment ～, no sooner ～ than.”

Attachment rules

See it in context

• 彼は玄関に入るなり、大声で家族を呼んだ。(The moment he entered the hall, he loudly called for his family.)
• その知らせを聞くなり、彼女は泣き崩れた。(The instant she heard the news, she broke down in tears.)
• 医者は患者を一目見るなり、ただ事ではないと悟った。(The instant the doctor saw the patient, he realized it was serious.)
• 彼が家を出るなり、雨が降り出した。(No sooner had he left home than it began to rain.) — subjects may differ front and back
• 猫はドアが開くなり、外へ飛び出した。(The instant the door opened, the cat dashed outside.)

⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid

① Use the dictionary form, not the た-form. Use ① “the instant ～” precedes a verb dictionary form (見るなり, 聞くなり, 入るなり), not the た-form — not 「見たなり」 (which is a different meaning, “keeping a state,” like 「立ったなり」). This is exactly opposite to 「〜たとたん (見たとたん, た-form).」 Test: the なり of “the instant ～” takes a dictionary form (見るなり泣く).

② ⭐The subjects front and back may differ; the point is ‘time adjacency,' not ‘same subject.' Textbooks often say 「なり」 has the same subject front and back, but in reality different subjects front and back are also common, the key being not whether the subject is the same but that “the first act happens, the second follows almost simultaneously”: 彼が家を出るなり、雨が降り出した (no sooner did he leave home than it began to rain — first subject “he,” second subject “rain,” different, but time-adjacent). So don't rote-memorize “must be the same subject”; remember the core is “time-adjacent, almost simultaneous.”

③ ⭐“The instant ～” leans written, narrative, mostly narrating ‘what already happened,' rarely for future plans. Use ① has two limits. (a) Leans written, narrative: it clearly leans written, narrative, common in fiction, news, stories, to depict someone's sudden, dramatic reaction; for everyday spoken “the instant ～,” 「〜たらすぐ」「〜次第」 are more common (see 〈次第〉). (b) Mostly narrates ‘what already happened,' involuntary reactions, rarely takes future volition: it mostly depicts already-happened, the person's involuntary reaction, rarely taking 「つもり」「〜（よ）う」 etc. expressing future plan, volition. ✗「明日、到着するなり、会議に出るつもりだ」 (unnatural) → should be 「到着したらすぐ会議に出るつもりだ.」 Test: for a novelistic “the instant he ～, (suddenly) ～” → なり (dictionary form); for everyday or future-plan “the instant ～” → use たらすぐ／次第.

④ Don't misapply the verb 「なる」's continuative 「〜になり」 to this pattern. This is a look-alike trap. Seeing 「〜になり」 isn't necessarily this lesson's grammar! 「彼は医者になり、多くの人を救った」 (he became a doctor and saved many people) — here 「なり」 is the verb なる (become)'s continuative form (= 「なって,」 just joining clauses), merely the same form as this lesson's “the instant ～” 「なり,」 but entirely different in meaning. Test: 「noun ＋ に ＋ なり」 (医者になり = become a doctor) is なる's continuative; 「verb dictionary form ＋ なり」 (見るなり = the instant one sees) is this lesson's grammar. Don't apply “the instant ～” to every 「なり.」

🔄 Nuance & comparison: なり (the instant)／とたん／や否や／次第

💡 The key point in use

「〜なり」 has two uses: ①dictionary form ＋ なり = the instant ～, immediately and ②〜なり〜なり = listing options (see 〈なり〜なり〉). This lesson focuses on ① “the instant ～,” with four key points: ① use the dictionary form (見るなり), not the た-form; ②⭐the subjects front and back may differ; the point is ‘time adjacency' (彼が出るなり雨が降り出した); ③⭐it leans written, narrative, mostly depicting ‘already-happened' sudden reactions, rarely for future plans (future uses たらすぐ／次第); ④ 「〜になり (become)」 is the verb なる's continuative — don't misapply. This “the instant ～” is a very vivid, narrative pattern — 「見るなり泣き出した」「聞くなり飛び出した」 render that sudden, involuntary drama of “no sooner ～ than ～” vividly. It's a favorite of fiction and news; for everyday spoken “the instant ～,” 「〜たらすぐ」「〜次第」 are more natural.

❓ Questions you might have

Q: 「見るなり」 and 「見たとたん」 both mean ‘the instant one sees' — what's the difference?

Close in meaning (both “the moment ～”), differing in ‘attachment,' ‘feel,' and ‘usage tendency.' 「〜なり (見るなり)」 = the instant ～ (dictionary form; written, narrative): it takes a verb dictionary form (見るなり), its feel written, narrative, most often to narrate a third person (someone else)'s sudden, involuntary reaction, dramatic, common in fiction and news: 子供は母を見るなり、泣き出した (the instant the child saw its mother, it cried — narrating someone's sudden reaction). It's rarely used for “I” myself or for future plans. 「〜たとたん (見たとたん)」 = just as ～ (た-form; with surprise, general, see 〈とたん〉): it takes a verb た-form (見たとたん), its core carrying the feel of “surprise, the unexpected,” stressing “right at that instant, something unexpected happened,” general in speech and writing, subject freer: ドアを開けたとたん、猫が飛び出してきた (just as I opened the door, the cat (unexpectedly) dashed out — with surprise). Difference: 「なり」 leans written narrative, mostly a third person's sudden reaction, uses the dictionary form; 「とたん」 carries surprise, general, uses the た-form (see 〈とたん〉). Test: for a novelistic “(someone) the instant they ～, suddenly ～” → 見るなり (dictionary form); for “right at that instant, unexpectedly ～” → 見たとたん (た-form).

Q: Can 「聞くなり飛び出した」 become 「聞くなり、明日出発するつもりだ」?

No — that's unnatural. Because use ①'s 「なり」 (“the instant ～”) mostly narrates ‘already-happened,' involuntary reactions, and rarely takes expressions of future plan or volition. 「聞くなり飛び出した」 is an already-happened sudden reaction (heard it and dashed out — past, involuntary), 「なり」's typical use, natural. But 「聞くなり、明日出発するつもりだ」 attaches 「なり」 to a future plan, volition (つもり), which is unnatural — because 「なり」 depicts an already-realized, instant reaction of “the first act happens, the second follows involuntarily,” whereas “planning to leave tomorrow” is a future subjective plan, the two clashing in feel. For this “the instant ～, (about to do some future act),” use 「〜次第」 (mostly future, volition, see 〈次第〉) or 「〜たらすぐ」: 連絡を受け次第、出発するつもりだ (I plan to leave as soon as I get word), 聞いたらすぐ出発する (I'll leave the instant I hear). Test: to narrate an already-happened sudden reaction (the instant he ～, (involuntarily) ～) → なり; to express a future “the instant ～, (I plan／immediately) ～” → 次第／たらすぐ. Remember 「なり (the instant)」 leans toward an already-realized, involuntary narration — don't attach future volition.

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「彼はドアを開ける___、大声で叫んだ。」(the instant he opened the door)

(A) なり　(B) ばかり　(C) どころ　(D) ながら

Q2. 「〜なり(as soon as)」の前の動詞の形は?

(A) Dictionary form　(B) た形　(C) ない形　(D) て形

Q3. 「帰るなり倒れ込んだ」の意味は?

(A) Collapsed the moment he got home

(B) Collapsed before getting home

(C) Didn't go home

(D) Collapsed long after getting home

Q4. 「〜なり(as soon as)」と「〜なり〜なり」の違いは?

(A) 〜なり = as soon as ~, immediately; 〜なり〜なり = listing (whether ~ or ~)

(B) The two are exactly the same

(C) 〜なり = listing

(D) 〜なり〜なり = as soon as ~

Q5. 接法が正しいのは?

(A) 着くなり寝てしまった。　(B) 着いたなり。

(C) 着いてなり。　(D) 着きなり。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) なり ── Shouted the instant he opened the door.

2. (A) Dictionary form ── Dictionary form ＋ なり.

3. (A) ── Collapsed the moment he got home.

4. (A) ── 〜なり as soon as; 〜なり〜なり listing.

5. (A) ── 「着くなり寝てしまった」is correct.