Japatan
Formação
- V辞書形 + か + Vない形 + かのうちに
- Vた形 + か + Vない形 + かのうちに
Explicação
Means B happened so soon after A that you can hardly tell whether A had finished: the two events are almost simultaneous. The same verb is repeated in affirmative and negative forms. The second clause describes what actually happened; it cannot be a request or the speaker's intention.
Exemplos
チャイムが 鳴るか鳴らないかのうちに、学生たちは教室を出ていった。
The bell had barely rung when the students left the classroom.
息子は家に 帰ったか帰らないかのうちに、また遊びに出かけた。
My son had hardly come home before he went out to play again.
ドアが 閉まるか閉まらないかのうちに、電車は動き出した。
The train started moving just as the doors were closing.
新しいゲームは、発売されるかされないかのうちに売り切れた。
The new game sold out almost as soon as it was released.
Observações
Use the same verb twice. The second clause cannot be a request or invitation. It resembles たかと思うと, but this pattern stresses that the two events were nearly simultaneous.
Gramática relacionada
Miniquiz
1弟はベッドに横になるか（ ）うちに、寝てしまった。
Resposta e explicação
Resposta: 2 ならないかの
"My younger brother fell asleep almost as soon as he lay down in bed." The correct form is なるかならないかのうちに.
2先生が「始め」と（ ）、学生たちはいっせいに問題を解き始めた。
Resposta e explicação
Resposta: 4 言うか言わないかのうちに
"Almost as soon as the teacher said 'Begin,' the students all started solving the problems." The affirmative comes first, then the negative of the same verb: 言うか言わないかのうちに.
3試合が始まったか始まらないかのうちに、（ ）。
Resposta e explicação
Resposta: 2 雨が降り出した
"It started to rain almost as soon as the game began." The second clause must be an actual event, not an intention, request or invitation.
