Meaning
"〜や否や" expresses that two actions happen almost simultaneously, with the second event immediately following the first, similar to "no sooner... than" or "as soon as."
Volitional expressions, commands, or negative forms cannot be used in the following clause.
The second action is often unexpected, highlighting a quick and surprising sequence of events.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 動詞 | 動詞 （辞書形） + やいなや |
Examples
-
友達の赤ん坊が私の顔を見るや否や、泣き出した。
My friend's baby started crying as soon as he saw my face. -
田中さんは私の顔を見るや否や、どこかへ走り出した。
As soon as Mr. Tanaka saw my face, he started to run somewhere. -
外を出るや否や、急に雨が降り出した。
As soon as I left the house, it suddenly started to rain. -
父は家に帰るや否や、突然倒れて眠ってしまった。
As soon as my father came home, he suddenly collapsed and fell asleep. -
雷の光が見えるや否や、大きな音とともに近くに落ちた。
As soon as I saw the light of thunder, it struck nearby with a loud noise. -
後輩は仕事がまだ残っているにも関わらず、定時になるや否や、すぐに帰ってしまった。
My junior colleague left as soon as the time was up, even though there was still work to be done.
Summary
- 〜や否や means "no sooner than"
- Formation: 動詞 → 動詞 （辞書形） + やいなや
- This is an N1-level grammar pattern