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〜や否や

JLPT N1 Immediacy and timing

as soon as; the instant

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や否や means that the instant one event occurred, another immediately followed. Attach it to a verb's dictionary form. It is formal and literary, common in writing, and the second clause is in the past.

Examples

  • Doa o akeru ya ina ya, neko ga tobidashite kita.

    The instant I opened the door, the cat darted out.

  • Sono shirase ga tsutawaru ya ina ya, machi wa oosawagi ni natta.

    As soon as the news spread, the town was in an uproar.

Vocabulary in these examples

Related patterns · Immediacy and timing