「〜が早いか」 and 「〜や否や」: no sooner … than
Both mean the moment the first thing happens, the second happens almost at the same time; they stress speed more than 「すぐ」. Both are written Japanese, common in novels, essays and the news, and mostly describe things that have already happened. The two halves can have the same subject or different ones. 「が早いか」 often describes someone rushing into the next action; 「や否や」 is more common in the news, and what follows can be other people’s reaction or simply what happened next.
| Form | How it attaches | Features | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 「〜が早いか」 | verb dictionary form + 「が早いか」 (ta form also possible) | stresses surprising speed; usually followed by a quick action | written, narrative |
| 「〜や否や」 | verb dictionary form + 「や否や」 | followed by a reaction or by what happened next | written, news reports |
| 「〜や」 | verb dictionary form + 「や」 | short form of 「や否や」 | written, literary |
The two mean almost the same, and neither is followed by your own plans, orders or requests. For something like “do your homework as soon as you get home”, say 「帰ったらすぐ宿題をしなさい」.
弟は玄関のドアを開けるが早いか、台所へ駆け込んでいった。
No sooner had my little brother opened the front door than he ran into the kitchen.
終業のチャイムが鳴るが早いか、彼はかばんを抱えて事務所を出ていった。
The moment the end-of-day chime sounded, he grabbed his bag and left the office.
The subjects differ: the chime sounds, and he leaves.
新型のゲーム機は、発売されるや否や、どの店でも品切れになった。
The moment the new games console went on sale, it sold out in every shop.
監督が会見で辞任を表明するや否や、会場は騒然となった。
As soon as the manager announced his resignation at the press conference, the room was in uproar.
列車がホームに着くや、乗客は出口へと急いだ。
The moment the train pulled in at the platform, the passengers hurried towards the exits.
Shortened to 「や」, it is even more written.
Watch out
Common mistakes① They are not followed by your own plans, orders or requests: don’t say 「家に着くや否や、電話してください」; say 「家に着いたらすぐ電話してください」. ② They mostly describe other people and the past. For your own habit, such as “I have a bath as soon as I get home every day”, use 「〜とすぐ」: 「毎日家に帰るとすぐお風呂に入る」.
Tip
「否」 is read 「いな」 and means “no”. 「や否や」 originally meant “the moment when it is yes or no”, and came to mean “no sooner … than”. 「〜か否か」 is a different expression meaning “whether or not”: 「参加するか否か」 (whether or not to take part).
「〜なり」: and then suddenly …
Verb dictionary form + 「なり」 means someone does one thing and immediately does something else unexpected. The second action is often sudden or unusual: bursting into tears the moment they walk in, losing their temper as soon as they meet someone, rushing out the moment they put the phone down. It is used in writing and in speech, mostly about other people and things that have already happened.
| Form | How it attaches | Meaning | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 「〜なり」 | verb dictionary form + 「なり」 | as soon as … (sudden, unexpected); same person | written, narrative; also spoken |
| 「〜たなり」 | verb ta form + 「なり」 | same as 「〜たまま」: stayed that way after … | old-fashioned; you only need to understand it |
| 「〜なり〜なり」 (lesson 7) | — | either … or … (giving examples) | a different pattern |
| 「〜なりに」 (N2 lesson 19) | — | in one’s own way, as befits … | a different pattern |
父は受話器を置くなり、上着もはおらずに外へ飛び出した。
The moment my father put down the phone, he rushed outside without even putting on a jacket.
娘は家に帰ってくるなり、自分の部屋にこもってしまった。
As soon as my daughter came home, she shut herself up in her room.
彼はわたしの顔を見るなり、「久しぶり」と言って笑い出した。
The moment he saw me, he said “Long time no see” and burst out laughing.
新入社員は席に着くなり、隣の先輩に給料日を尋ねた。
The moment the new employee sat down, he asked the senior colleague next to him when payday was.
一口食べるなり、客は顔をしかめて箸を置いた。
After just one bite, the customer frowned and put down his chopsticks.
Watch out
Common mistakes① Both halves of 「なり」 usually have the same person: don’t say 「わたしが部屋に入るなり、電話が鳴った」; say 「部屋に入ったとたん、電話が鳴った」. ② It is not usually used about yourself, and is not followed by plans or requests. ③ What follows is usually unexpected; for something ordinary like “I bought a ticket as soon as I got to the station”, 「駅に着いてすぐ切符を買った」 is enough.
「〜そばから」: undone as soon as it’s done, again and again
Verb dictionary form or ta form + 「そばから」 means as soon as you do something, the result is cancelled out or used up, and this happens again and again: a room messed up as soon as it is tidied, words forgotten as soon as they are learnt, wages spent as soon as they come in. It usually carries a tone of resignation or complaint, but it can also describe a busy scene like 「作るそばから売れていく」, where things sell as fast as they are made. Because it describes something repeated, it works for the present and the past, in writing and in speech.
| Form | How it attaches | Meaning | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| 「〜そばから」 | verb dictionary form + 「そばから」 | as soon as … (it is undone again), over and over | spoken and written |
| 「〜たそばから」 | verb ta form + 「そばから」 | as soon as … is done | spoken and written |
片付けるそばから、子どもたちがおもちゃを散らかしていく。
As fast as I tidy up, the children scatter their toys everywhere again.
単語を覚えたそばから忘れてしまうので、試験が心配だ。
I forget words as soon as I learn them, so I’m worried about the exam.
給料が入ったそばから、カードの支払いで消えていく。
My pay disappears on card bills as soon as it comes in.
雪かきをするそばから、また雪が積もっていく。
As fast as I clear the snow, it piles up again.
人気のコロッケは、揚げるそばから売れていく。
The popular croquettes sell as fast as they can be fried.
Demand outstrips supply here, and the tone is happy.
Watch out
Common mistakes「そばから」 describes something that happens again and again. For a one-off “as soon as”, use 「〜たとたん」 or 「〜なり」: for “it started raining the moment I left the house”, say 「家を出たとたん、雨が降り出した」. Also, the 「そば」 in 「駅のそばから」 (from near the station) means “beside”: check whether a verb or a noun comes before it.
Compared with what you learnt in N3
| Expression | Subject | Time | Request or plan after it? | Tone, style | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 「たとたん（に）」 (N3 lesson 3) | same or different | past | No | unexpected change; spoken and written | ドアを開けたとたん、猫が飛び出した。 |
| 「次第」 (N3 lesson 3) | same or different | future | Yes | formal notices and requests | 準備ができ次第、出発します。 |
| 「たらすぐ」 「とすぐ」 | same or different | any time | 「たらすぐ」: yes | neutral; spoken | 着いたらすぐ連絡して。 |
| 「が早いか」 | same or different | past | No | stresses speed; written, narrative | 鐘が鳴るが早いか、走り出した。 |
| 「や否や」 | same or different | past | No | written, news reports | 発表されるや否や、話題になった。 |
| 「なり」 | same person | past | No | unexpected action; narrative | 部屋に入るなり、泣き出した。 |
| 「そばから」 | same or different | repeated events (present, past) | No | mostly resignation or complaint | 直すそばから壊される。 |
| Don’t say | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 駅に着くや否や、電話をください。 | 駅に着いたらすぐ電話をください。 | a request takes 「たらすぐ」 |
| 資料が届くなり、お送りします。 | 資料が届き次第、お送りします。 | future arrangements take 「次第」 |
| わたしが座るなり、バスが動き出した。 | わたしが座ったとたん、バスが動き出した。 | the subjects differ, so not 「なり」 |
| 窓を開けたそばから、いい風が入ってきた。 | 窓を開けたとたん、いい風が入ってきた。 | it happens only once, so not 「そばから」 |
| 明日、仕事が終わるが早いか、飲みに行こう。 | 明日、仕事が終わったらすぐ飲みに行こう。 | invitations and plans don’t take 「が早いか」 |
Compare
“No sooner … than” is used only for the past, and its written feel is close to 「が早いか」 and 「や否や」. For a request like “call me as soon as you arrive”, say 「着いたらすぐ電話して」. 「そばから」 is close to “as fast as … (it gets undone or used up)”.
Dialogue and short text: a new product sells out, a morning market by the station
- リン
佐藤さん、課長はさっき戻ってくるなり、また出ていきましたね。何かあったんですか。
Sato, the section manager came back a moment ago and went straight out again. Has something happened?
- 佐藤
取引先から電話があってね。電話を切るなり、「工場に行ってくる」って。
A client phoned. The moment he hung up, he said, “I’m off to the factory.”
- リン
新製品の件ですか。
Is it about the new product?
- 佐藤
たぶんね。予約が始まったとたんに注文が殺到して、生産が追いつかないらしいよ。
Probably. Apparently orders flooded in the moment pre-orders opened, and production can’t keep up.
- リン
うれしい悲鳴ですね。わたしも、在庫表を直すそばから数字が変わるので、追いつきません。
A nice problem to have. It’s the same for me: the figures change as fast as I update the stock sheet, so I can’t keep up.
- 佐藤
大変だね。数字が固まり次第、課長に報告してくれる？
That sounds hard. As soon as the figures are settled, could you report them to the section manager?
- リン
わかりました。課長が戻られ次第、すぐお伝えします。
Certainly. I’ll tell him as soon as he’s back.
- 佐藤
ありがとう。そういえば今朝のニュースで、うちの新製品が「発売されるや否や品切れ続出」って書かれてたよ。
Thanks. Come to think of it, this morning’s news said our new product was “selling out everywhere the moment it went on sale”.
- リン
本当ですか。それで課長も、あんなに慌てていたんですね。
Really? So that’s why the section manager was in such a hurry.
In the dialogue, 「なり」 describes the section manager’s sudden behaviour, 「そばから」 the stock sheet that keeps needing changes, 「たとたん」 an unexpected change, and 「次第」 what will be done right afterwards. Sato uses 「や否や」 only when quoting a news headline; it is rare in everyday conversation. 「が早いか」 appears almost only in writing, as in the text below.
駅前の朝市
夜明け前、駅前の広場に朝市が立つ。トラックが着くが早いか、農家の人たちは手際よく野菜を並べ始める。
Show the translation
Before dawn, a morning market sets up in the square in front of the station. No sooner have the lorries arrived than the farmers start deftly laying out their vegetables.
六時の開始を告げる鐘が鳴るや否や、待ちかねた客がどっと押し寄せた。目当ての店に着くなり、品定めもそこそこに袋いっぱい買い込む人もいる。店の人たちは、並べるそばから売れていく野菜を前に、うれしそうに汗をぬぐっていた。
Show the translation
The moment the bell rang to announce the six o’clock opening, customers who had been waiting impatiently came flooding in. Some, as soon as they reached the stall they were after, filled a whole bag with barely a glance at the goods. The stallholders, watching their vegetables sell as fast as they could set them out, happily wiped the sweat from their brows.
The essay uses 「着くが早いか」 and 「鳴るや否や」 for actions that follow each other quickly, which gives the market its brisk pace; 「着くなり」 for customers who start buying the moment they arrive, which is unexpected; and 「並べるそばから売れていく」 for vegetables selling as soon as they are laid out, again and again. Here that is a good thing: demand outstrips supply.