Lesson 112: たびに・たとたん・て以来・ぶり

N3 · Lesson 112 · 18 min — Every time ~, the moment ~, ever since ~, after a long gap: four ways to talk about time points and time spans

Last lesson you learned うちに・最中さいちゅうに・際さいに. The festival got rained on, and Kumata's takoyaki stall opened again. This lesson has four phrases about time. Let's read the comic first!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use たびに to say "every time ~, (this happens)"
• Use たとたん（に）to say "the moment ~, (suddenly) ~"
• Use て以来いらい to say "ever since ~, (it has been this way)"
• Use ぶり to say "~ again, after a long gap" (for the first time in ~), and also 話はなしぶり (the way someone talks)

Lantern Night News

Rain has stopped. Yanaka Shrine glows with lanterns; Mr. Kuma stops. (ちょうちん = lantern, 以来いらい = since, 屋台やたい = stall)

たびに = every time; たとたん = the moment; て以来いらい = since; ぶり = after a gap. Next: Rin goes to Kyoto!

Words for this lesson: every time, the moment, since, after a gap

• 見みる たびに (miru tabi ni): every time I see ~
• 出でた とたん (deta totan): the moment I went out, (suddenly) ~
• 来きて 以来いらい (kite irai): ever since I came
• 一年いちねんぶり (ichinen-buri): after a year (again ~)
• 話はなしぶり (hanashiburi): the way someone talks
• 久ひさしぶり (hisashiburi): long time no see; after a long time
• もう 一ひとつ (mō hitotsu): one more
• ちょうちん (chōchin): paper lantern
• 思おもい出だす (omoidasu): to remember
• 師匠ししょう (shishō): master, teacher (of a craft)
• 祭まつり (matsuri): festival
• 屋台やたい (yatai): stall (at a festival or night market)
• たこやき (takoyaki): takoyaki (octopus balls)
• お兄にいちゃん (oniichan): big bro (friendly way to address him)
• プロ (puro): a pro, professional-level
• さびしい (sabishii): lonely, quiet and empty
• やっぱり (yappari): as expected
• 京都きょうと (Kyōto): Kyoto
• 泣なく (naku): to cry
• ずっと (zutto): all along, continuously
• 違ちがう (chigau): different
• 去年きょねん (kyonen): last year
• 卒業そつぎょうする (sotsugyō suru): graduation
• 鳴なる (naru): to ring (a phone, a bell)
• 立たち上あがる (tachiagaru): to stand up
• お土産みやげ (omiyage): souvenir, gift from a trip

Grammar 1 / 4: たびに

たびに = every time ~, ...: the first part repeats, and the second part is the result or feeling that comes each time. Use the dictionary form for verbs, and add の after nouns.

• たびに = every time ~, ...: "Whenever A happens, B always happens": この 歌うたを 聞きく たびに、台湾たいわんを 思おもい出だす. = Every time I hear this song, I think of Taiwan. A is something that repeats.
• How to connect: Verb dictionary form + たびに (行いく たびに); noun + の + たびに (祭まつりの たびに). Even for past events, use the dictionary form before たびに and put the past tense at the end.
• Second half: it happens every time: B is "a result, habit or feeling that comes up every time": 会あう たびに 違ちがう アルバイトを して いる. An event that happens only once (like that trip tomorrow) cannot use たびに.
• How is it different from とき?: とき = at one particular time; たびに = every time. 京都きょうとへ 行いった とき = when I went to Kyoto (that one time); 京都きょうとへ 行いく たびに = every time I go to Kyoto.

• この ちょうちんを 見みる たびに、師匠ししょうを 思おもい出だす。 — Every time I see this lantern, I think of my master.
• 祭まつりの たびに、雨あめが 降ふります。 — It rains every time there is a festival.
• この 歌うたを 聞きく たびに、台湾たいわんを 思おもい出だします。 — Every time I hear this song, I think of Taiwan.
• 熊太くまたは 会あう たびに、違ちがう アルバイトを して いる。 — Every time I meet Kumata, he has a different part-time job.
• 京都きょうとへ 行いく たびに、お土産みやげを 買かいます。 — I buy a souvenir every time I go to Kyoto.

Grammar 2 / 4: たとたん（に）

たとたん（に）= the moment ~, (suddenly) ~: use the た-form first. What follows happens in an instant and is often a surprise.

• たとたん = the moment ~, ...: As soon as A happens, B happens almost at the same time, and it is often unexpected: 外そとに 出でた とたん、雨あめが 降ふり出だした。= The moment I stepped outside, it began to rain.
• How to connect: た-form + とたん（に）: 食たべた とたん, 開あけた とたんに. とたん and とたんに mean the same. Adding に puts a little more stress on "at that very moment".
• Second half: something that really happened: B is usually in the past tense and is something out of your control (rain, a phone ringing, bursting into tears). You cannot follow it with "let's ~" or "please ~", which are your own plans or requests.
• How is it different from てから?: てから = after A is done, do B (as planned); たとたん = the moment A happens, B suddenly pops up. For things you decide to do yourself, use てから or たら.

• 外そとに 出でた とたん、雨あめが 降ふり出だした。 — The moment I stepped outside, it started to rain.
• 立たち上あがった とたん、電話でんわが 鳴なった。 — The moment I stood up, the phone rang.
• ドアを 開あけた とたんに、ねこが 入はいって きた。 — The moment the door opened, the cat ran in.
• 店みせを 開あけた とたん、お客きゃくさんが たくさん 来きた。 — The moment the shop opened, lots of customers came in.
• ピヨは リンの 顔かおを 見みた とたん、笑わらい出だした。 — The moment Piyo saw Rin's face, she burst out laughing.

Grammar 3 / 4: て以来いらい

て以来いらい = ever since ~, all along ~: the first part is a starting point in the past (a て-form or a noun), and the second part is a state that has continued from then until now.

• て以来いらい = ever since ~, all along ~: It takes something in the past as the starting point and says "from then until now, it has been like this": 日本にほんに 来きて 以来いらい、ずっと 谷中やなかに 住すんで いる。
• How to connect: Verb て-form + 以来いらい (来きて 以来いらい, 卒業そつぎょうして 以来いらい); noun + 以来いらい directly (去年きょねん 以来いらい). (去年きょねんの 春はる is one whole noun phrase, so the の belongs inside it. You cannot say 祭まつりの 以来いらい.)
• Second half: a continuing state: It often goes with ずっと, 〜て いる and 〜て いない. A one-time event (climbing Mt. Fuji once) can't follow 以来いらい. Use てから.
• The nuance: It is a bit more formal than てから, and the starting point is usually something big and weighty (coming to Japan, graduating, moving). For something that just happened, like "five minutes ago", don't use 以来いらい.

• はなちゃんが 京都きょうとへ 行いって 以来いらい、祭まつりが ずっと さびしい。 — Ever since はな went to Kyoto, the festival has been quiet.
• 日本にほんに 来きて 以来いらい、ずっと 谷中やなかに 住すんで います。 — Ever since I came to Japan, I've lived in Yanaka.
• この 店みせを 知しって 以来いらい、毎週まいしゅう 来きて いる。 — Ever since I found this shop, I've come every week.
• 去年きょねんの 春はる 以来いらい、おじいさんに 会あって いない。 — I haven't seen Grandpa since last spring.
• 卒業そつぎょうして 以来いらい、先生せんせいに 会あって いません。 — I haven't seen my teacher since I graduated.

Grammar 4 / 4: ぶり

ぶり has two uses. Time span + ぶりに = for the first time in ~, ... again; N／ます-stem of a few verbs (話はなし) + ぶり = the way of ~ing (話はなしぶり, 仕事しごとぶり). Not every verb works, so just remember these two.

• Time + ぶりに = ~ again after a gap: Something stopped for a while and then happened again: 三年さんねんぶりに 友ともだちに 会あった。= I saw my friend again after three years. It often carries a feeling of "it's been so long".
• How to connect: Time span + ぶりに + verb (一年いちねんぶりに 出だした); time span + ぶりの + noun (十年じゅうねんぶりの 雪ゆき). The word before it must be "how long" (一年いちねん, 三年さんねん), not "when" (去年きょねん).
• 久ひさしぶり: The most common one is 久ひさしぶり: お久ひさしぶりです = long time no see; 久ひさしぶりに ラーメンを 食たべた = I ate ramen for the first time in a long while.
• N／ます-stem of a few verbs + ぶり = the way of ~ing: 話はなしぶり (the way someone talks), 仕事しごとぶり (the way someone works). It is often used to praise or comment on someone. 仕事しごと is a noun. 話はなし is the ます-stem of 話はなす (not 話はなす itself). Not every verb can take ぶり, so just remember these two.

• 一年いちねんぶりに 屋台やたいを 出だした。 — The food stall was set up again for the first time in a year.
• 三年さんねんぶりに 友ともだちに 会あいました。 — I saw my friend again after three years.
• 十年じゅうねんぶりの 雪ゆきで、町まちが 白しろく なった。 — It snowed for the first time in ten years, and the whole town turned white.
• 熊太くまたの 仕事しごとぶりは すごい。 — The way Kumata works is impressive.
• 久ひさしぶりに 台湾たいわんの 友ともだちと 話はなした。 — I chatted with my friend in Taiwan for the first time in ages.