JLPT N1 Grammar

〜が早いか (ga hayai ka)

〜が早いか (ga hayai ka)
"As soon as; the moment that"

This expression indicates that as soon as one action occurs, another action happens almost simultaneously or immediately afterward. It emphasizes the extreme speed and lack of any interval between the two events.

  • Formality: Highly formal and literary.
  • Context: Primarily used in written Japanese (novels, news reports, formal essays) or formal narration. It is rarely used in casual daily conversation.
  • Nuance: It often describes a surprising or instantaneous reaction. It is typically used for third-person descriptions; it is unnatural to use it for the speaker's own future intentions or requests. The second half of the sentence often describes a factual past event or a habitual action.

Format

  • Verb (Dictionary Form) + が早いか
    終業のベルが鳴るが早いか、彼は席を立って出口へ向かった。 The moment the closing bell rang, he stood up and headed for the exit.
  • Verb (た-Form) + が早いか
    デモ機の説明を聞いたが早いか、その投資家は出資を即決した。 As soon as he heard the explanation of the demo machine, the investor immediately decided to invest.

Example sentences

  • 、。
    As soon as the president entered the meeting room, angry shouts echoed throughout.
  • 、。
    The moment the registration started, the server went down.
  • 、。
    As soon as I got home, I opened my PC and resumed working.
  • 、。
    The moment pre-orders for the new product began, orders came flooding in.
  • 、。
    As soon as her salary was deposited, she ran to buy the shoes she wanted.
  • 、。
    The moment the topic changed, he started talking volubly.
  • 、。
    As soon as the culprit saw the police officer, he fled into an alley.
  • 、。
    The moment the curtain fell, the audience rose for a standing ovation.
  • 、。
    As soon as the rain started falling, passersby rushed under the eaves.
  • 、。
    The moment the bug was discovered, the engineer created a fix patch.

Similar Grammar

〜なり (nari)

“As soon as; the moment”
彼は椅子に座るなり、居眠りを始めた。 The moment he sat in the chair, he started dozing off.

Difference:

  • Often used for impulsive or slightly surprising actions by a third party.

〜や否や (ya ina ya)

“The moment; as soon as”
非常ベルが鳴るや否や、全員が避難を始めた。 As soon as the emergency bell rang, everyone began to evacuate.

Difference:

  • Very similar in formality; implies a sense of "before the previous action even finished."

〜たとたんに (ta totan ni)

“Just as; the moment”
立ち上がったとたんに、足に痛みを感じた。 The moment I stood up, I felt pain in my leg.

Difference:

  • Much more common in speech; can be used for the speaker's own physical sensations.

〜そばから (soba kara)

“As soon as... (repeatedly)”
覚えるそばから、漢字を忘れてしまう。 As soon as I learn them, I forget the Kanji (repeatedly).

Difference:

  • Implies a cycle of actions, usually with a negative or frustrated nuance.

〜か〜ないかのうちに (ka...nai ka no uchi ni)

“Just as; barely after...”
授業が終わるか終わらないかのうちに、彼は教室を出た。 He left the classroom barely as the lesson finished.

Difference:

  • Emphasizes that there was virtually no time gap at all.

JLPT Practice Questions

Now let’s test your understanding.

Q1. のが（　　　）、はのを。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q2. が（　　　）が、はになり、を。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q3. では、にを（　　　）、またを。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q4. が（　　　）、をようなが。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q5. を（　　　）、たちはを。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q6. （　　　）、ともをに。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q7. を（　　　）、のはに。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q8. ののが（　　　）、がへ。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q9. に（　　　）、に。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q10. （　　　）、10でのが。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q11. がを（　　　）が、たちはを。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q12. が（　　　）しまい、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q13. が（　　　）、はを。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q14. が（　　　）、ください。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q15. のを（　　　）、がきた。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Continue Your Journey to Native-Level Fluency

Great work finishing this session! Achieving N1-level precision is about layering these subtle distinctions until they become second nature in your professional life.

To maintain your momentum and eliminate any remaining blind spots, head back to our JLPT N1 Grammar List. Use it to systematically check off each point and refine your ability to navigate complex Japanese environments with the confidence of a native speaker.

JLPT N1 Grammar List

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