〜うちに

Formation

• V辞書形 + うちに
• Vて形 + いる + うちに
• Vない形 + うちに
• いA + うちに
• なA + な + うちに
• N + の + うちに

Explanation

(1) Do something while a state lasts, before it changes: eat it while it is warm, go home before it gets dark. It implies it will be harder later. (2) With Vている/Vる, a change happens naturally while you are doing something, often followed by ようになる or てくる.

Examples

• 料理りょうりが温あたたかい うちに、どうぞ食たべてください。

  Please eat the food while it's still warm.

• 元気げんきな うちに、いろいろな国くにを旅行りょこうしたいです。

  I want to travel to many countries while I'm still healthy.

• 雨あめが降ふらない うちに、洗濯物せんたくものを中なかに入いれましょう。

  Let's bring the laundry inside before it starts raining.

• 毎日まいにち日本にほんのドラマを見みている うちに、少すこしずつ聞きき取とれるようになりました。

  While watching Japanese dramas every day, I gradually became able to understand what they say.

Notes

Use (1) is close to 前に but adds the feeling that it will be impossible or harder once the state ends. It is not used with an exact time such as 三時.

Related grammar

〜最中に

Mini quiz

Practice this in N3 · Day 15