が早いか, そばから, and なり
This page deals with some common N1 time expressions:
- が早いか – As soon as
- そばから – (Always) Right after…(Opposite)
- なり – As soon as they…
が早いか
Right after/Same time
Plain form verb + がはやいか
が早いか means “right after“. Literally: “Xがはやかいか→ Was X earlier? (first).”
It refers to being so close together you can’t tell which happened first (earlier).
There is a slight nuance of surprise.
It is a variation of かないかのうちに
You probably realize this, but it must state facts and not opinions or commands.
Sentences are usually past tense.
Other expressions with the same meaning are た瞬間に (the moment X happened) and た拍子に (The beat* that..) and や否や
*Beat as in musical beat, like “without skipping a beat”
Examples
- 椅子に座ったが早いか、寝てしまった
As soon as he sat in the chair he fell asleep. (slight surprise “Wow he was tired”) - 報告するが早いか倒れた
As soon as he gave the report he collapsed. - 彼女を見るが早いか泣き出した
Started crying as soon as he saw her.
そばから
As soon as X, something opposite happens
Plain form verb + そばから
そばから expresses that something contrary to an action occurs right after.
The English equivalent is “Right after I said don’t run, he started running again”.
It is most almost always used for bad things.
It is used for things that repeatedly occur (may be something similar that repeatedly occurs)
Because of this, the sentences basically never end in the past tense.
Frequently used with 言う or other speaking words.
言われたそばから is a common expression, but other words don’t tend to use the passive. (Source)
そばから is a little bit more common than the other words here.
Examples
- 言わられたそばからまた同じミスをする
Makes the same mistake right after being told about it. - 電気代を払ったそばからガスの請求書が来る
Right after I pay my electric bill, my gas bill comes. - 補充するそばからまたなくなってしまう
As soon as I refill it, we run out again. - 教わる傍から忘れてしまう.
(I always) forget as soon as I learn.
なり
As soon as they…
Dictionary Form Verb + なり
なり expresses surprise at an event that occurs right as/after something else happens.
It must be third person and the second part must express an intentional action.
なり is a literary expression. It is fairly rare.
The subject should also be the same before and after (1 topic/subject for the sentence).
I.E. “As soon as he entered the room, he yelled” and NOT “As soon as he entered the room, I yelled”
See also なり
Examples
- 彼が部屋に入るなり大声で叫んだ
As soon as he entered the room, he screamed in a loud voice. - 電話に出るなり、別の人と交代した。
As soon as they answered the phone, they switched with someone else. - オフィスを出るなり忘れ物を取りに戻った
As soon as they left the office, they came back to get something they forgot.
References
Weblio
Nihongo Kyoshi
Chiebukuro
新完全マスターN1 (Pg. 8)