JLPT N1 Grammar

〜たはずみで (ta hazumi de)

〜たはずみで (ta hazumi de)
“By chance; accidentally; as a result of the momentum of...”

This expression is used to describe an accidental or unintended consequence that occurs due to the physical momentum of an action or a sudden, momentary impulse. It implies that "Action A" happened with such force, speed, or lack of control that "Result B" (usually unexpected or negative) occurred immediately.

  • Formality: Neutral to Formal. While it can be used in spoken Japanese, it is frequently found in written reports, news articles, and formal explanations of accidents or incidents.
  • Context: Most common in contexts involving physical movement, accidents, or sudden behavioral lapses (e.g., business incident reports, medical explanations, or describing a slip of the tongue).
  • Nuance: It emphasizes the unintentional nature of the act. The speaker is often explaining how something went wrong by blaming the physical force or the "spur of the moment" nature of the preceding action. It is not used for planned outcomes.

Format

  • Verb (た-form) + はずみで
    転んだはずみで、スマホの画面が割れてしまった。 As a result of falling down, my smartphone screen cracked.
  • Noun + の + はずみで
    何かのはずみで、重要なデータが消えてしまった。 By some chance (or accidental momentum), important data was deleted.

Example sentences

  • 、。
    As a result of the sudden momentum of a sneeze, I threw my back out.
  • 、。
    By the momentum of standing up, I accidentally knocked over the coffee on the desk.
  • 、、。
    In the heat of the moment during a heated argument, I accidentally leaked confidential information.
  • 、。
    As a result of the impact of the car collision, the windshield shattered into pieces.
  • 、。
    By the momentum of closing the door, I caught my finger in it and had a painful experience.

Similar Grammar

〜た拍子に (〜ta hyōshi ni)

“The moment that...; as a result of the timing of...”
荷物を持ち上げた拍子に、背中がグキッとなった。The moment I lifted the luggage, my back went 'crack'.

Difference:

  • 〜たはずみで emphasizes physical force, momentum, or impulse.
  • 〜た拍子に emphasizes the timing or the exact moment two actions coincided.

〜たあげく (〜ta ageku)

“After much...; in the end (usually a bad result)”
さんざん悩んだあげく、結局買わなかった。After agonizing over it for a long time, I ended up not buying it.

Difference:

  • 〜たあげく implies a long process or duration before the result.
  • 〜たはずみで is near-instantaneous and physical.

〜たついでに (〜ta tsuide ni)

“While I'm at it; taking the opportunity to...”
散歩に行ったついでに、手紙を出してきた。 While out for a walk, I also mailed the letter.

Difference:

  • 〜たついでに is a conscious, planned secondary action.
  • 〜たはずみで is always unintentional.

〜たかと思うと (〜ta ka to omou to)

“No sooner had...; just when I thought...”
赤ちゃんは泣いたかと思うと、もう笑っている。 Just when I thought the baby was crying, she's already laughing.

Difference:

  • Used for rapid changes in state or consecutive events, not necessarily caused by the physical momentum of the first act.

〜た結果 (〜ta kekka)

“As a result of...”
調査した結果、原因が判明した。 As a result of the investigation, the cause was identified.

Difference:

  • A neutral, logical cause-and-effect. It lacks the nuance of "accidental momentum" or "sudden impulse" found in 〜たはずみで.

JLPT Practice Questions

Now let’s test your understanding.

Q1. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q2. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q3. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q4. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q5. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q6. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q7. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q8. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q9. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q10. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q11. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q12. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q13. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q14. （　　　）、。
A.
B.
C.
D.

Q15. （　　　）、。
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

Who we are

Japanese at Work is built by gaijins, for gaijins.

Most schools and tutors follow the same path: memorise JLPT vocabulary and study grammar that rarely appears in real workplace writing. This works if your only goal is to pass the test.

But after that, things change. Once you start working in Japan, you’re expected to read reports, follow discussions, and speak clearly about industry news and decisions—at a professional level. If you can’t, you’re quietly left out of conversations and leadership opportunities. This is the gap between JLPT Japanese and real Japanese, and most learners are left to struggle with it alone.

Japanese at Work exists to close that gap. We share content that focuses on the Japanese you actually encounter at work—across business, management, IT, marketing, product, and recruitment.

Learn at your own pace, wherever you are, without distractions, progress bars and daily push notifications. For a limited time, all of our content is free.

Read more