そばから
🃏 Flashcard
そばから
soba kara
Tap to reveal usage
as soon as; right after ~
N1
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N1
Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms
Reading
soba kara
Post ID
51358
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
as soon as; right after ~
📖 How to use it
Expresses that something happens immediately after another action, often with a sense of repetition or frustration.
Attaches to
Attach to the plain past tense of a verb (e.g., したそばから). For verbs ending in する, use したそばから. Not used with nouns or adjectives.
This pattern emphasizes that the second action occurs right after the first, often so quickly that the first action's effect is undone. It carries a nuance of repetition or annoyance, like 'no sooner... than...' in English. It is commonly used in writing or formal speech, less in casual conversation. Example: 掃除したそばから子供が散らかす means the child makes a mess right after you clean, over and over.
勉強したそばから忘れてしまう。
Benkyou shita soba kara wasurete shimau.
I forget things as soon as I study them.
直したそばから壊れる機械にうんざりだ。
Naoshita soba kara kowareru kikai ni unzari da.
I'm fed up with machines that break right after I fix them.
約束したそばから破る人とは付き合えない。
Yakusoku shita soba kara yaburu hito to wa tsukiaenai.
I can't associate with someone who breaks a promise right after making it.
Not 〜や否や (ya ina ya)
〜や否や also means 'as soon as', but it focuses on a single event with no sense of repetition or frustration. そばから often implies the same thing happens repeatedly, and the speaker is annoyed.
Register
Written or formal speech; rarely used in casual conversation.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
そばから
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat そばから three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using そばから. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N1 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern そばから mean?
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As soon as; right after ~
What JLPT level is そばから?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N1 — Advanced · Literary, rhetorical & rare forms. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use そばから in a sentence?
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Attach そばから (soba kara) 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 そばから formal or casual Japanese?
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そばから 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 そばから long-term?
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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.