while passing each other
Describes an action that occurs at the moment two people or things pass by each other, often in opposite directions. The suffix ざま indicates the timing or occasion of the action.
See also: ざま
He smiled at me as we passed each other.
Our bags bumped into each other as we passed.
A suffix meaning 'while' or 'at the time of', often attached to verb stems. すれ違いざま uses this suffix to indicate the timing of an action during passing.
Standard mixed kanji-kana spelling; the most common written form.
Full kanji spelling; less common and may appear in formal or literary contexts.
Compound of すれ違い (the noun form of すれ違う, 'to pass by each other') and the suffix ざま ('while', 'at the time of'). The suffix ざま is a voiced variant of さま (様).