Kotomora
JLPT N2Construction
Furigana

か～ないかのうちにAlmost before; no sooner than

か～ないかのうちに says that B begins almost at the same instant as A—so quickly that it is barely possible to tell whether A has fully happened.

Two events at virtually the same instant

ベルが鳴なるか鳴ならないかのうちに、生せい徒とたちは教きょう室しつを飛とび出だした。

The students rushed out of the classroom almost before the bell had begun to ring.

Analyze

The negative does not cancel the first event

The repeated positive and negative forms create the sense “whether A has happened or not.” This does not mean that A failed to happen. Instead, it places B at the barely perceptible boundary of A: A is beginning or just reaching completion when B starts.

彼かれは椅い子すに座すわるか座すわらないかのうちに、また立たち上あがった。

He stood up again almost before he had sat down.

Analyze

The sitting and standing are presented as exceptionally close, not merely a short time apart.

Choosing the first verb form

The dictionary form presents A as barely beginning or occurring. The past form can place the viewpoint at A’s completion boundary, but the construction still leaves that completion difficult to confirm. In both patterns, B must begin virtually at once.

電でん車しゃが駅えきに着ついたか着つかないかのうちに、ドアの前まえに人ひとが集あつまった。

People gathered in front of the doors almost before the train had arrived at the station.

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Whether A is clearly complete

か～ないかのうちに deliberately makes A’s completion hard to pin down. By contrast, たとたん presents A as completed and then introduces a sudden B.

照しょう明めいが消きえるか消きえないかのうちに、会かい場じょうから歓かん声せいが上あがった。

Cheers rose from the venue almost before the lights had gone out.

Analyze

The cheering begins while the lights are only just going out.

照しょう明めいが消きえたとたん、会かい場じょうから歓かん声せいが上あがった。

The instant the lights went out, cheers rose from the venue.

Analyze

Here the lights are presented as having gone out before the cheering begins.

More examples

ドアが開ひらくか開ひらかないかのうちに、猫ねこが隙すき間まから飛とび出だした。

The cat shot through the gap almost before the door had begun to open.

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名な前まえを呼よばれたか呼よばれないかのうちに、彼かの女じょは返へん事じをした。

She answered almost before her name had been called.

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雨あめが降ふり出だすか降ふり出ださないかのうちに、観かん客きゃくは一いっ斉せいに傘かさを開ひらいた。

The spectators all opened their umbrellas almost before it had begun to rain.

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店みせが開ひらいたか開ひらかないかのうちに、最さい初しょの客きゃくが入はいってきた。

The first customer came in almost before the shop had opened.

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彼かれは目めを閉とじるか閉とじないかのうちに、深ふかい眠ねむりに落おちた。

He fell into a deep sleep almost before closing his eyes.

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終しゅう了りょうのベルが鳴なったか鳴ならないかのうちに、選せん手しゅたちは動うごきを止とめた。

The players stopped moving almost before the final bell had rung.

Analyze