Lesson 151: 次第・末に・か〜ないかのうちに・かと思うと

N2 · Lesson 151 · 18 min — As soon as, finally after a struggle, almost at once, just ~ and then: the day the job offer came

Last lesson, Rin had his interview at Tanuki Travel Agency, and Manager Tanuki forgot his name again. All four patterns in this lesson are about the order of time: 次第しだい (as soon as ~; what you will do next), 末すえに (after a long struggle, finally), か〜ないかの うちに (almost at the same time), かと 思おもうと (just ~, and it changed). Let's read the comic first!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use 次第しだい to say "as soon as ~": 結果けっかが わかり次第しだい、ご連絡れんらくします
• Use 末すえに to say "after much ~, finally ~": 三日みっか 悩なやんだ 末すえに
• Use か〜ないかの うちに to say "just as ~ was about to happen, ~ (almost at once)"
• Use かと 思おもうと／かと 思おもったら to describe other people: "just ~, and then right away ~". Also tell all four patterns apart

The Day the Offer Came

How did the interview go? (内定ないてい = job offer, 切きる = hang up, 鳴なる = ring)

次第しだい = as soon as, 末すえに = finally, after a struggle, か〜ないかのうちに = almost at once, かと思おもったら = just ~, then changed. Next: signatures race the construction!

Words in this lesson: waiting for news, deciding, phones ringing

• 〜次第しだい (shidai): as soon as ~
• 〜末すえに (sue ni): after much ~, finally ~
• 〜か 〜ないかの うちに (~ka ~nai ka no uchi ni): just as ~ was about to happen, ~ (almost at once)
• 〜かと 思おもうと／かと 思おもったら (ka to omou to / ka to omottara): just ~, and then right away ~
• 結果けっか (kekka): result
• 連絡れんらくする (renraku suru): contact
• 内定ないてい (naitei): job offer (from a company)
• 悩なやむ (nayamu): to worry, to be troubled
• 迷まよう (mayou): to hesitate, to be unable to decide
• 決きめる (kimeru): to decide
• 電話でんわを 切きる (denwa o kiru): to hang up (a phone)
• 鳴なる (naru): (bell, phone) to ring
• ベル (beru): bell, ringing sound
• おめでとう (omedetō): congratulations
• ケーキ (kēki): cake
• 到着とうちゃく (tōchaku): arrival, to arrive
• 話はなし合あい (hanashiai): discussion, talks
• 日程にってい (nittei): schedule, itinerary
• やむ (yamu): (rain, snow) to stop
• ようやく (yōyaku): finally, at long last

Grammar 1 / 4: 次第しだい

Verb ます-form (drop ます) / する-noun + 次第しだい = as soon as ~, do ~ right away. When the first thing is done, you do the second thing at once. 結果けっかが わかり次第しだい、ご連絡れんらくします = I will contact you as soon as the result is known.

• Form: ます-form without ます + 次第しだい: わかります → わかり次第しだい, 着つきます → 着つき次第しだい, できます → でき次第しだい. A する-noun can attach directly: 到着とうちゃく次第しだい.
• Meaning: as soon as ~, right away ~: As soon as A is done, you do B at once. It is more formal than 〜たら すぐ. You often see it in phone calls, emails and shop notices.
• Second half: something to do, a request: After it, use "I will ~", "please ~" or "let's ~": ご連絡れんらくします, ご連絡れんらくください, 出発しゅっぱつしましょう. You cannot end with something that already happened (〜た).
• Don't mix it up with N次第しだいで: In Lesson 146, 天気てんき次第しだいで meant "depending on the weather". In this lesson, 次第しだい follows an action: 結果けっかが わかり次第しだい = as soon as the result is known.

• 結果けっかが わかり次第しだい、ご連絡れんらくします。 — I will contact you as soon as the result is out.
• 到着とうちゃく次第しだい、電話でんわを ください。 — As soon as you arrive, please call me.
• 準備じゅんびが でき次第しだい、出発しゅっぱつしましょう。 — As soon as we are ready, let's leave.
• 雨あめが やみ次第しだい、出でかけます。 — As soon as the rain stops, I'll go out.
• 日程にっていが 決きまり次第しだい、お知しらせします。 — As soon as the schedule is set, we will let you know.

Grammar 2 / 4: 末すえに

V た-form / N の + 末すえ(に) = after much ~, finally ~. The first part is a long, hard process. The second part is the final result or decision. 三日みっか 悩なやんだ 末すえに、この 会社かいしゃに 決きめた = After worrying for three days, I decided on this company.

• Form: V た-form / N の + 末すえに: With verbs, use the た-form: 悩なやんだ 末すえに, 考かんがえた 末すえに. With nouns, add の: 話はなし合あいの 末すえに. You can drop に: 〜の 末すえ、〜.
• Meaning: after much ~, finally ~: 末すえ means the end, the last part. Before it comes a long process (worrying, discussing, hesitating, failing many times). After it comes the result or decision you finally reached. It often appears with いろいろ, 長ながい and ようやく.
• 末すえの + noun: When a noun follows, use 末すえの: 悩なやんだ 末すえの 答こたえ (the answer reached after much worrying).
• Not for an ordinary order of events: "Eat, then sleep" has no hard process. Use 〜てから instead. 末すえに always carries the feeling of "after a lot of effort".

• 三日みっか 悩なやんだ 末すえに、この 会社かいしゃに 決きめました。 — After worrying for three days, I decided on this company.
• いろいろ 考かんがえた 末すえに、留学りゅうがくする ことに した。 — After thinking about it a lot, I decided to study abroad.
• 長ながい 話はなし合あいの 末すえに、新あたらしい 案あんが 決きまった。 — After a long discussion, we finally decided on the new plan.
• 一時間いちじかん 迷まよった 末すえに、いつもの ラーメンに した。 — After hesitating for an hour, I ended up ordering my usual bowl of ramen.
• 三回さんかい 失敗しっぱいした 末すえ、ようやく 合格ごうかくした。 — After failing three times, I finally passed.

Grammar 3 / 4: か〜ないかのうちに

Same verb: dictionary form (or た-form) + か + ない-form + かの うちに = just as ~ was about to happen (not even finished yet), ~. Two things happen almost at the same time. 電話でんわを 切きるか 切きらないかの うちに、また 鳴なった = The phone had barely been hung up when it rang again.

• Form: V か + V ないかの うちに: Put the same verb twice. First use the dictionary form or た-form, then the ない-form, and end with かの うちに: 切きるか 切きらないかの うちに, 鳴なったか 鳴ならないかの うちに.
• Meaning: just as ~ was about to happen, ~: A is not completely over (maybe it has not even started), and B already happens. It stresses that the two things are "almost simultaneous". It is faster than "as soon as ~".
• Second half: something that already happened: What follows is usually past tense and describes something you actually saw: また 鳴なった, 教室きょうしつを 出でた. You cannot use "please ~", "let's ~" or "I plan to ~". To say "as soon as ~, please ~", use 次第しだい.
• Compare with たとたん: 着ついた とたん: at the moment A is finished, something "unexpected" happens. 着つくか 着つかないかの うちに: A is not even fully done when B comes. The point is the "speed".

• 電話でんわを 切きるか 切きらないかの うちに、また 電話でんわが 鳴なった。 — The phone had barely been hung up when it rang again.
• 授業じゅぎょうの ベルが 鳴なったか 鳴ならないかの うちに、熊太くまたは 教室きょうしつを 出でた。 — The school bell had barely rung when Kumata rushed out of the classroom.
• 席せきに 座すわるか 座すわらないかの うちに、電車でんしゃが 動うごき出だした。 — I had barely started to sit down when the train started moving.
• ラーメンが 来くるか 来こないかの うちに、先生せんせいは 食たべ始はじめた。 — The ramen had barely reached the table when Neko-sensei started eating.
• 家いえに 帰かえるか 帰かえらないかの うちに、雨あめが 降ふり出だした。 — I had barely reached home when it started to rain.

Grammar 4 / 4: かと思おもうと

V た-form + かと 思おもうと／かと 思おもったら = just ~, and right away ~. You describe other people or things that you see, and the change is so fast it is surprising. 来きたかと 思おもったら、もう 帰かえった = He had only just come, and he already went home.

• Form: V た-form + かと 思おもうと／かと 思おもったら: 来きた → 来きたかと 思おもうと, やんだ → やんだかと 思おもったら. The two forms mean the same. かと 思おもったら is more casual.
• Meaning: just ~, and right away ~: A has only just happened, and B follows so fast it is surprising. B is often the opposite of A: 泣ないた → 笑わらって いる, 来きた → 帰かえった.
• Only for describing others or things: This describes what "I see happening nearby". You cannot use it for your own actions (×わたしは 帰かえったかと 思おもうと). The second half is something you actually saw (often past tense, or a present state 〜て いる). You cannot use "please ~", "let's ~" or "I plan to ~".
• Here 思おもう doesn't mean "I think": On its own, 来きたかと 思おもった means "I thought he had come". But in the pattern "V た + かと 思おもうと, (another fast change)", it means "just ~, and then ~", not "thought".

• 熊太くまたは 来きたかと 思おもったら、もう 帰かえって しまった。 — Kumata had only just come, and he already left.
• 雨あめが やんだかと 思おもうと、また 降ふり出だした。 — The rain had only just stopped, and it started again.
• 赤あかちゃんは 泣ないたかと 思おもうと、もう 笑わらって いる。 — The baby had only just been crying, and now he is already laughing.
• 先生せんせいは 寝ねたかと 思おもうと、すぐ 起おきて 何なにか 食たべ始はじめた。 — Neko-sensei had only just fallen asleep, and he got up again right away and started eating.
• 電車でんしゃが 止とまったかと 思おもったら、すぐ また 動うごき出だした。 — The train had only just stopped, and it started moving again right away.