〜か〜ないかのうちに
JLPT N2:as soon as / before fully
The second event happens almost at the same instant as the first, before the first can clearly be said to be complete.
How to form it
- Repeat the same verb in dictionary and ない forms: 鳴るか鳴らないかのうちに.
- The events are extremely close in time; the second is normally a completed event, not a plan or command.
Examples
ベルが鳴るか鳴らないかのうちに、生徒たちは教室を出た。
The students left almost as soon as the bell rang.
彼は座るか座らないかのうちに話し始めた。
He began speaking before he had even fully sat down.
Common mistakes
- Using different verbs on the two sides of か.
- Using it when there is a noticeable interval between the events.
Similar meaning
- 〜とたんにthe moment
たとたん describes an immediate, often surprising result after X finishes.