Lesson 166: が早いか・や否や・なり・そばから

N1 · Lesson 166 · 18 min — As soon as ~ (right away, at once, suddenly) and no sooner ~ than again: a letter from the ward office!

Last lesson, Rin met はな in Kyoto and got one page: the last page of a letter that was never sent. This lesson has four ways to say "as soon as ~". が早はやいか, や否いなや and なり all mean "as soon as ~, right away", but they are used in different situations. そばから means "no sooner ~ than again": the effort is wasted again and again. Let's read the comic first!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use が早はやいか for "as soon as ~, right away" (almost at the same moment): 着つくが 早はやいか、辞書じしょを 開ひらいた
• Understand written や否いなや, "as soon as ~, at once": 読よむや 否いなや 跳とび上あがった
• Use なり to describe someone else, "as soon as he ~, (suddenly) ~": 入はいるなり 注文ちゅうもんした
• Use そばから to complain, "no sooner ~ than again ~": 覚おぼえる そばから 忘わすれる

As soon as ~!

Rin met はな in Kyoto and got a last page he can't read. Now back in Tokyo—(辞書じしょ=dictionary, 区長くちょう=ward mayor, 面談めんだん=interview)

が早はやいか・や否いなや・なり = "as soon as ~, right away"; そばから = "no sooner ~ than again". Next lesson, Mr. Kuma makes a big decision...

Words for this lesson: "as soon as ~" and life back in Tokyo

• 〜が早はやいか (ga hayai ka): as soon as ~, right away (almost at the same moment)
• 〜や否いなや (ya ina ya): as soon as ~, at once (written)
• 〜なり (nari): as soon as ~, (does something surprising right after)
• 〜そばから (soba kara): no sooner ~ than again (effort wasted again and again)
• 辞書じしょ (jisho): dictionary
• 開ひらく (hiraku): to open
• 覚おぼえる (oboeru): to memorize, to remember
• 忘わすれる (wasureru): to forget
• 決きまる (kimaru): to be decided, to be set
• 跳とび上あがる (tobiagaru): to jump up
• 注文ちゅうもん (chūmon): to order (food, goods)
• 区長くちょう (kuchō): ward mayor
• 面談めんだん (mendan): interview, meeting
• 最後さいごの 一枚いちまい (saigo no ichimai): the last page, the last sheet
• 鳴なる (naru): to ring (a bell, a phone)
• 飛とび出だす (tobidasu): to rush out
• 流ながれる (nagareru): to be broadcast (news), to spread
• 片付かたづける (katazukeru): to tidy up
• 散ちらかす (chirakasu): to make a mess, to scatter things
• 雪ゆきを かく (yuki o kaku): to shovel snow
• 売うり切きれる (urikireru): to sell out
• 発売はつばい (hatsubai): to go on sale, release
• 黙だまる (damaru): to fall silent
• 店主てんしゅ (tenshu): shop owner
• 大盛おおもり (ōmori): large portion, large bowl
• 信号しんごう (shingō): traffic light
• 汚よごす (yogosu): to make dirty
• 直なおす (naosu): to fix, to repair
• 何度なんど (nando): how many times

Grammar 1 / 4: が早はやいか

V dictionary form + が早はやいか = as soon as ~, right away: A has just happened and B follows almost at the same moment, so fast you can't react. 着つくが 早はやいか、辞書じしょを 開ひらいた = As soon as he arrived, he opened the dictionary.

• Form: V dictionary form + が早はやいか: 着つくが 早はやいか、鳴なるが 早はやいか. Use the dictionary form before it: not the masu-form, not the ta-form.
• Meaning: as soon as ~, right away: A has just happened and B happens almost at the same moment. The point is speed: B follows A with almost no gap. が早はやいか is rather written and common in novels. In daily talk, people usually say たとたん or 〜たら すぐ. In the comic, Neko-sensei speaks like a novel narrator on purpose. You wouldn't talk like this in a normal chat.
• B is something that already happened: The sentence mostly ends in the ta-form. You can't follow it with "please ~", "let's ~" or "I want to ~", things that haven't happened yet. To ask someone, say: 着ついたら すぐ 〜して ください.
• Compare with たとたん: たとたん often means "something unexpected happened" (出でた とたん 雨あめが 降ふり出だした). が早はやいか stresses speed more, and is often used for eager, impatient actions.

• 東京とうきょうに 着つくが 早はやいか、辞書じしょを 開ひらいた。 — As soon as he arrived in Tokyo, he opened the dictionary.
• ベルが 鳴なるが 早はやいか、子こどもたちは 教室きょうしつを 飛とび出だした。 — As soon as the bell rang, the children rushed out of the classroom.
• ドアが 開あくが 早はやいか、客きゃくが 入はいって きた。 — As soon as the door opened, the customers came in.
• 熊太くまたは ベッドに 入はいるが 早はやいか、寝ねて しまった。 — As soon as Kumata got into bed, he fell asleep.
• チケットは 発売はつばいされるが 早はやいか、売うり切きれた。 — As soon as the tickets went on sale, they sold out.

Grammar 2 / 4: や否いなや

V dictionary form + や否いなや (や) = as soon as ~, at once: close in meaning to が早はやいか. が早はやいか is also rather written, but や否いなや is more formal and the most common in news reports. 読よむや 否いなや 跳とび上あがった = As soon as he finished reading, he jumped up.

• Form: V dictionary form + や否いなや (や): 読よむや 否いなや、開あくや 否いなや. You can also say just や: 発売はつばいされるや.
• Meaning: as soon as ~, at once: A has just happened and B happens at once. The meaning is almost the same as が早はやいか.
• Very written: Common in news, novels and reports. When chatting with friends, people more often say たとたん or 〜たら、すぐ.
• B is something that already happened: Don't follow it with "please ~" or "let's ~". To say "as soon as ~, please ~ at once", use the 〜次第しだい you already learned: 着つき次第しだい、連絡れんらくして ください.

• リンは 手紙てがみを 読よむや 否いなや、跳とび上あがった。 — As soon as Rin finished reading the letter, he jumped up.
• ドアが 開あくや 否いなや、客きゃくが 店みせに 入はいった。 — As soon as the door opened, the customers went into the shop.
• チケットは 発売はつばいされるや、売うり切きれた。 — As soon as the tickets went on sale, they sold out.
• ニュースが 流ながれるや 否いなや、電話でんわが 鳴なり始はじめた。 — As soon as the news was broadcast, the phone began to ring.
• 区長くちょうが 会場かいじょうに 着つくや 否いなや、質問しつもんが 始はじまった。 — As soon as the ward mayor arrived at the hall, the questions began.

Grammar 3 / 4: なり

V dictionary form + なり = as soon as ~, (right after) ~: the same person finishes A and immediately does a surprising B. Mostly used to describe others. 先生せんせいは 店みせに 入はいるなり 注文ちゅうもんした = As soon as sensei came into the shop, he ordered.

• Form: V dictionary form + なり: 入はいるなり、帰かえるなり、見みるなり. Use the dictionary form before it.
• Meaning: as soon as ~, (right after) ~: As soon as A is done, B follows. B is often an action that makes people around him jump: ordering a large bowl as soon as he enters, or falling asleep as soon as he gets home.
• Same person, mostly about others: A and B must have the same subject. It is mostly used to describe others. For yourself, use 「〜て、すぐ〜」. When A and B have different subjects, use が早はやいか or や否いなや.
• B is something that already happened: End the sentence in the ta-form. Don't follow it with "please ~" or "let's ~". 帰かえったら すぐ 〜して ください is the correct way.

• 先生せんせいは 店みせに 入はいるなり 注文ちゅうもんした。 — As soon as sensei came into the shop, he ordered.
• 熊太くまたは 家いえに 帰かえるなり 寝ねて しまった。 — As soon as Kumata got home, he fell asleep.
• 部長ぶちょうは リンの 顔かおを 見みるなり「君きみ、名前なまえ なんだっけ？」と 言いった。 — As soon as the department head saw Rin's face, he said: "What was your name again?"
• 先生せんせいは メニューを 見みるなり「全部ぜんぶ！」と 言いった。 — As soon as sensei looked at the menu, he said: "All of it!"
• くまやの 店主てんしゅは 写真しゃしんを 見みるなり 黙だまって しまった。 — As soon as the owner of くまや saw the photo, he fell silent.

Grammar 4 / 4: そばから

V dictionary form / V-ta form + そばから = no sooner ~ than again: you finally finish A, and right away B undoes it. And it happens over and over. 覚おぼえる そばから 忘わすれる = No sooner do I memorize it than I forget it again.

• Form: V dictionary form / V-ta form + そばから: 覚おぼえる そばから、雪ゆきを かいた そばから. Both forms are OK.
• Meaning: no sooner ~ than again: As soon as A is done, B cancels it out: memorize and forget, tidy and mess up.
• It keeps happening, not just once: そばから describes a repeated pattern: "every time it's like this". For a one-time "as soon as ~", use たとたん or が早はやいか.
• A complaint, a sigh: Often used to complain that effort is wasted. The sentence often ends in the dictionary form ("it always happens") or 〜て しまう.

• 単語たんごを 覚おぼえる そばから 忘わすれて しまう。 — No sooner had I memorized the words than I forgot them again.
• 部屋へやを 片付かたづける そばから、先生せんせいが 散ちらかす。 — No sooner had the room been tidied than sensei messed it up again.
• 道みちの 雪ゆきを かいた そばから、また 降ふって くる。 — No sooner had the snow on the road been shoveled than it started falling again.
• 作つくる そばから、先生せんせいが 食たべて しまう。 — No sooner had I made it than sensei ate it.
• 教おしえる そばから、ピヨは 忘わすれて しまう。 — No sooner had I taught it than Piyo forgot it again.