just as; right after; as soon as (か～ないかのうちに) – Japanese Grammar か～ないかのうちに (ka~nai ka no uchi ni)

Q: What JLPT level is か～ないかのうちに?

JLPT N2 — Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage

Q: How do you use か～ないかのうちに in a sentence?

Attach か～ないかのうちに to the appropriate verb or noun form. Just as; right after; as soon as

Q: Is か～ないかのうちに formal or casual Japanese?

か～ないかのうちに is typically used in formal or written Japanese contexts.

か～ないかのうちに

N2 GRAMMAR ⏱ 0s study 📖 0 today

ka~nai ka no uchi ni

just as; right after; as soon as

にしろ～にしろ ni shiro~ni shiro だけのことはある dake no koto wa aru なくて済む nakute sumu てはいられない tewa irarenai に際して ni saishite からして kara shite 恐れがある osore ga aru もう少しで mou sukoshi de て当然だ te touzen da に応じて ni oujite ものか / もんか mono ka / mon ka 幸いなことに saiwai na koto ni っこない kkonai ところだった tokoro datta おまけに omake ni ちなみに chinamini に関わる ni kakawaru に向かって ni mukatte かねる kaneru どころではない dokoro dewa nai にしろ～にしろ ni shiro~ni shiro だけのことはある dake no koto wa aru なくて済む nakute sumu てはいられない tewa irarenai に際して ni saishite からして kara shite 恐れがある osore ga aru もう少しで mou sukoshi de て当然だ te touzen da に応じて ni oujite ものか / もんか mono ka / mon ka 幸いなことに saiwai na koto ni っこない kkonai ところだった tokoro datta おまけに omake ni ちなみに chinamini に関わる ni kakawaru に向かって ni mukatte かねる kaneru どころではない dokoro dewa nai

🃏 Flashcard

か～ないかのうちに

ka~nai ka no uchi ni

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just as; right after; as soon as

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📊 Pattern Stats

JLPT Level N2

Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage

Reading ka~nai ka no uchi ni

Post ID 51035

Patterns today 0

0 / 10 daily goal

📝 Usage Notes

just as; right after; as soon as

📖 How to use it

Describes an action that happens immediately after another action, often before the first action is fully completed.

Attaches to Attach to the short form of a verb (dictionary form or た-form) followed by か, then the negative short form (ない-form) of the same or synonymous verb, followed by かのうちに. The two verbs are often identical.

This pattern expresses that something occurs right at the moment another action finishes or even before it is completely done. It emphasizes the immediacy and sometimes the surprise of the second action. The structure is like 'no sooner... than' in English. For example, you can say ベッドに入るか入らないかのうちに眠ってしまった (I fell asleep the moment I got into bed). The verb before か is often in the dictionary form or た-form, but the negative form is always ない-form. The second clause describes an event that happens almost simultaneously, often with a nuance that it was quicker than expected. This is a somewhat formal, written expression, but it is also used in speech when telling stories or narrating events. It is not used in casual everyday chit-chat.

家を出るか出ないかのうちに、雨が降り出した。

Ie o deru ka denai ka no uchi ni, ame ga furidashita.

No sooner had I left the house than it started to rain.

彼はベッドに横になるかならないかのうちに、いびきをかき始めた。

Kare wa beddo ni yoko ni naru ka naranai ka no uchi ni, ibiki o kaki hajimeta.

He started snoring the moment he lay down on the bed.

試験が終わるか終わらないかのうちに、学生たちは答え合わせを始めた。

Shiken ga owaru ka owaranai ka no uchi ni, gakusei-tachi wa kotaeawase o hajimeta.

The students started checking their answers as soon as the exam was over.

Not ～か～ないかのうちに vs. ～とすぐに～とすぐに simply means 'right after' and is more neutral, while ～か～ないかのうちに emphasizes that the second action happens before the first is fully finished, often with a nuance of surprise or abruptness. Also, ～か～ないかのうちに typically requires the same verb repeated, whereas ～とすぐに can be used with any pair of actions.

Register This pattern is somewhat formal and often appears in written narratives or careful speech; in casual conversation, simpler expressions like ～とすぐに are more natural.

🎯 Quick Quiz

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か～ないかのうちに

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🔗 More JLPT N2 Patterns

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かと思ったら

just when; no sooner than

かえって

on the contrary; rather; all the more

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What does the grammar pattern か～ないかのうちに mean? ▼

Just as; right after; as soon as

What JLPT level is か～ないかのうちに? ▼

Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N2 — Upper-Intermediate · Academic & formal usage. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.

How do you use か～ないかのうちに in a sentence? ▼

Attach か～ないかのうちに (ka~nai ka no uchi ni) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.

Is か～ないかのうちに formal or casual Japanese? ▼

か～ないかのうちに is used in formal or written contexts. You will see it mainly in written texts, news, business Japanese and academic contexts.

How can I remember か～ないかのうちに long-term? ▼

Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.