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Grammar detail: 〜か〜ないかのうちに

〜か〜ないかのうちに
as soon as; almost at the same time as
73 words
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For more on this topic, see the 床 essay in the Joy o' Kanji essay collection.
verb plain form
+
か
+
verb negative plain form
+
かのうちに
means
as soon as; almost at the same time as
This form is a combination of the うちに and ないうちに forms, and creates a sense of something happening 'immediately after' or 'right at the same time as' something else.
かれ
彼
ら
が
しゅっぱつ
出発
する
か、しないかのうちに、
あめ
雨
が
ふ
降
り
だ
出
した
。
They had hardly started when it began to rain.
いえ
家
を
で
出
る
か
で
出
ない
かのうちに
あめ
雨
が
ふ
降
り
だ
出
した
。
I had hardly left home when it began raining.
わたし
私
が
とこ
床
に
はい
入
る
か
はい
入
らない
かのうちに
でんわ
電話
が
な
鳴
りだした
。
I had hardly gotten into bed when the phone began to ring.
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Kanji used in this grammar

彼
ヒ   かれ he   
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出
シュツ   スイ   だす to take out, to put out   でる to go out, to exit   
発
ハツ   ホツ    emission, discharge   
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雨
ウ   あめ    あま- rain   
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降
コウ   おりる to get off   おろす to drop off   ふる to fall (eg rain)   
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家
カ   ケ   house   いえ    や    
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私
シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
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床
ショウ   ゆか floor   とこ bed   
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入
ニュウ   いる to enter   はいる to enter   いれる to put in   
電
デン    electricity   
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話
ワ   はなす to talk   はなし talking   
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鳴
メイ   なく to chirp, to twitter   なる to sound, to ring   ならす to make ring   
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