〜か〜ないかのうちに
ka -nai ka no uchi ni
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Meaning
"the moment ~", "barely had ~ when ~" — the second event happens before the first is even finished.
Repeat the same verb, once affirmative and once negative, then のうちに. The second clause is nearly always in the past tense and never a command or request.
Narrative description of things happening in immediate succession.
Formation
V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
V-dict / V-た + か + V-ない + かのうちにSecond clause in the past tenseNo commands, requests or volitional forms in the second clause
Visual diagram
- ベルが鳴るかV (dictionary/past)
- 鳴らないかsame V, negative
- のうちにwithin that instant
- 生徒たちは教室を飛び出したsecond action (past)
Natural examples
横になるかならないかのうちに、眠ってしまった。
よこになるかならないかのうちに、ねむってしまった。
I was barely lying down before I fell asleep.
ベルが鳴るか鳴らないかのうちに、生徒たちは教室を飛び出した。
ベルがなるかならないかのうちに、せいとたちはきょうしつをとびだした。
The bell had hardly rung when the students shot out of the classroom.
食べ終わったか終わらないかのうちに、彼は席を立った。
たべおわったかおわらないかのうちに、かれはせきをたった。
He got up from the table almost before he'd finished eating.
店が開くか開かないかのうちに、客が押し寄せた。
みせがあくかあかないかのうちに、きゃくがおしよせた。
The shop had barely opened when customers came flooding in.
Similar grammar and the difference
"The moment": one event fully completes, then the next; less overlap. Compare side by side
Emphasizes surprise at a change; no verb repetition. Compare side by side
"While a state lasts"; no repetition and no immediacy. Compare side by side
Common mistakes
- ✗
- ベルが鳴るか鳴らないうちに、飛び出した。
- ✓
- ベルが鳴るか鳴らないかのうちに、飛び出した。
- Why
- Both か and の are required: 〜か〜ないかのうちに.
- ✗
- 食べ終わるか終わらないかのうちに、出かけましょう。
- ✓
- 食べ終わったらすぐ、出かけましょう。
- Why
- The second clause must be an event that happened, not a suggestion.
- ✗
- ベルが鳴るか止まらないかのうちに
- ✓
- ベルが鳴るか鳴らないかのうちに
- Why
- The same verb must be repeated.
The first verb may be dictionary or past form; the repeated negative is always Vない. Often used to show impatience or haste of the subject. In 並べ替え the two verb forms are usually separate chunks.
JLPT N2 tips
On the exam
- If you see the same verb twice with か…ないか, the answer is のうちに.
- Distractors: とたんに, 最中に, 一方で. Only this pattern has the repeated verb.
- A future or request ending rules the pattern out.
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜か〜ないかのうちに mean?
"the moment ~", "barely had ~ when ~" — the second event happens before the first is even finished. Repeat the same verb, once affirmative and once negative, then のうちに. The second clause is nearly always in the past tense and never a command or request.
How do you form 〜か〜ないかのうちに?
V-dict / V-た + か + V-ない + かのうちに / Second clause in the past tense / No commands, requests or volitional forms in the second clause. V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
When is 〜か〜ないかのうちに used?
Narrative description of things happening in immediate succession.
What is the difference between 〜か〜ないかのうちに and 〜たとたん(に)?
"The moment": one event fully completes, then the next; less overlap.
What is the difference between 〜か〜ないかのうちに and 〜かと思うと?
Emphasizes surprise at a change; no verb repetition.
What is a common mistake with 〜か〜ないかのうちに?
Wrong: ベルが鳴るか鳴らないうちに、飛び出した。 Right: ベルが鳴るか鳴らないかのうちに、飛び出した。 Both か and の are required: 〜か〜ないかのうちに.
Quick check
試合が終わるか終わらないか（ ）、観客は帰り始めた。