connective N4 common casualpolitewritten
〜間に — while / during ~ (at some point within a span)
〜間に ・ あいだに
Meaning
- while / during ~ — something happens at a point *within* a span of time (with に); without に, throughout the whole span
〜間に marks a time span and says the main action happens at *some point inside* it — typically a one-time event: 留守の間に泥棒が入った ('a burglar got in while I was out'). Drop the に (〜間) and the main action instead lasts the *whole* span: 留守の間、犬が吠えていた ('the dog barked the entire time I was out'). The に is the single most important choice here.
Key sentence
母が出かけている間に、宿題を終わらせた。
I finished my homework while my mother was out.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb ている / noun + の / i-adjective + 間に | Vている / Nの / Aい + 間に | 寝ている間に / 夏休みの間に / 若い間に |
Examples
電車に乗っている間に、本を一冊読んだ。
While on the train, I read a whole book.
知らない間に、外は暗くなっていた。
Before I knew it, it had gotten dark outside.
夏休みの間に、運転免許を取りたい。
I want to get my driver's license during summer break.
Easily confused with
うちに 間に just locates an event within a span; うちに adds 'before the chance/state is gone' — do it now while conditions still hold (熱いうちに食べる, 'eat it while it's hot'). 間に carries no such urgency. ながら ながら = one person doing two things at once (歩きながら); 間に = action B happens during span A, and the two clauses can have different subjects. 〜ているあいだに Same pattern with the verb explicitly in ている — the 'while (someone) is ~ing' attachment; see that entry for the progressive case.
Notes
- 間 also reads けん/カン in compounds, but as this 'while/during' connective it is always あいだ. Without に, 〜間 means 'throughout' — see 〜間 for the duration-counter use.
See 〜間に in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜間に the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.