間がない · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 間がない | 間がなくない |
| Polite | 間がないです | 間がなくないですalso 間がなくありません |
| Past polite | 間がなかったです | 間がなくなかったですalso 間がなくありませんでした |
| Past | 間がなかった | 間がなくなかった |
| Te-form | 間がなくて | 間がなくなくて |
| Adverbial | 間がなく | |
| Conditional | 間がなければ | 間がなくなければ |
| Tara conditional | 間がなかったら | 間がなくなかったら |
not long has passed since ...; soon after ...
Used after the -te form of a verb to indicate that only a short time has elapsed since that action. Often implies that something else has already happened or is about to happen.
It hasn't been long since I came to Japan, so I still don't understand Japanese well.
He graduated not long ago, but he's already married.
Variant with 無い; slightly more formal or emphatic.
From 間 (ma, 'interval, time') + が + ない (nai, 'not exist'). Literally 'there is no interval', used idiomatically to mean 'not long has passed'.