途と端たんに

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

just as; right after; as soon as; at that moment

Used after a verb in the past tense or a noun to indicate that something happens immediately after the preceding action or state. Often implies an unexpected or sudden result.

家いえを出でた途と端たんに雨あめが降ふり出だした。
Just as I left the house, it started raining.
彼かれはその話はなしを聞きいた途と端たんに笑わらい出だした。
He burst out laughing the moment he heard that story.

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Usage patterns

〈動どう詞し〉た途と端たんにthe moment ~ happened, ...
ドアを開あけた途と端たんに、猫ねこが飛とび出だしてきた。
The moment I opened the door, a cat jumped out.
その途と端たんにat that very moment
立たち上あがった。その途と端たんに、電でん気きが消きえた。
I stood up. At that very moment, the lights went out.

Kanji

途route, way, road
端edge, origin, end

Related words

や否いなや
や否や is a more literary, formal way to say 'as soon as', whereas 途端に is the common, everyday choice and often adds a nuance of surprise.
すぐにN5
すぐに just means 'immediately' in general contexts, while 途端に specifically links two events so that the second happens right after the first, often unexpectedly.

Don't confuse with

突とつ然ぜんN3
突然 describes something happening abruptly with no set-up, while 途端に always follows a specific preceding action or event that triggers the result.

Etymology

From 途端 (とたん, 'the moment when something happens') + particle に. The noun 途端 itself is composed of 途 (way, path) and 端 (edge, end), literally 'the edge of the path', metaphorically the exact moment.