connective N2 uncommon casualpolitewritten

〜瞬間（に） — the moment that ~

〜瞬間（に）・しゅんかんに

Builds on た形

Meaning

the moment that ~ / the very instant ~ — pinpoints the single instant one thing happens, with another right on top of it

瞬間しゅんかん is the noun 'instant', so V-た + 瞬間しゅんかん(に) marks the exact split-second an action completes, with the next event landing on that same instant. ドアを開あけた瞬間しゅんかん、冷気れいきが流ながれ込こんできた ('the moment I opened the door, cold air poured in'). Because 瞬間しゅんかん is a real noun, it can be pointed to (その瞬間しゅんかん 'that moment') and modified. It's a touch more vivid and pinpoint than たとたん, and neutral about whether the result is a surprise.

Key sentence

彼かれの顔かおを見みた瞬間しゅんかん、すべてを思おもい出だした。

The moment I saw his face, I remembered everything.

Formation

Attaches to	Form	Example
Verb た-form (often) or dictionary form + 瞬間(に)	Vた + 瞬間(に)	着ついた瞬間しゅんかん / 触ふれた瞬間しゅんかん

When: Narrative; the moment-clause is past and factual, and the second clause reports what coincided with it — not a command or plan.

Examples

ベルが鳴なった瞬間しゅんかん、教室きょうしつが静しずまり返かえった。

The instant the bell rang, the classroom fell silent.

立たち上あがった瞬間しゅんかん、足あしがしびれているのに気きづいた。

The moment I stood up, I realized my leg had gone numb.

その瞬間しゅんかん、時間じかんが止とまったように感かんじた。

At that instant, it felt as if time had stopped.

Easily confused with

〜たとたん Very close. たとたん stresses an abrupt, often *surprising* sequel; た瞬間しゅんかん is more neutrally pinpoint on the single instant, and — being a noun — can be referred to (その瞬間しゅんかん). 〜ところに・〜ところへところに marks a span/scene a new event breaks into ('right while I was ~'); 瞬間しゅんかん(に) marks the razor-thin instant one action completes. 〜か〜ないかのうちにか〜ないかのうちに says the second event arrives *before the first even finishes*; 瞬間しゅんかん(に) places both at the *same* completed instant — the action is done, and right then the next thing happens.

Notes

Don't confuse with 一瞬いっしゅん ('for a brief moment', a duration). 瞬間しゅんかん(に) marks a point in time that triggers the next event.

See 〜瞬間（に） in real sentences

Jengo shows 〜瞬間（に） the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.

Study it in Jengo

Sources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.

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