connective N1 uncommon politewritten
〜が早いか — as soon as / no sooner than ~
〜が早いか ・ 〜がはやいか
Meaning
- no sooner ~ than / the instant ~ — the second action follows the first almost simultaneously, abruptly
Key sentence
彼はベルが鳴るが早いか、教室を飛び出した。
No sooner had the bell rung than he dashed out of the classroom.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (dictionary form; occasionally た) | V-る + が早いか, （主節は過去・突発的動作） | 横になるが早いか眠り込んだ |
When: Literary/written narration; paints a vivid, abrupt sequence.
Examples
子どもは家に着くが早いか、外へ遊びに行った。
No sooner had the child gotten home than they went out to play.
社長は席に座るが早いか、会議を始めた。
The moment the president sat down, he started the meeting.
When you can't use it
- The main clause is a completed, sudden action in the past — not a command, intention, or ongoing state.
Easily confused with
〜や否や Near-synonym, also literary; が早いか stresses the sheer *speed/abruptness* (literally 'X being quick'), や否や is the more neutral 'the moment X'. 〜なり なり 'as soon as' often leaves the subject *frozen* in the follow-on state; が早いか simply chains two quick successive actions. 〜たとたん たとたん is the everyday 'the instant', often with an unexpected result; が早いか is literary and emphasizes the racing speed of the reaction.
See 〜が早いか in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜が早いか 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 Advanced Japanese Grammar.