N1 Time, Timing, and Transition

~が早はやいか: meaning, usage and examples

~が早はやいか means: as soon as... / no sooner... than...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. ベルが鳴なるが早はやいか、生徒せいとたちは一斉いっせいに立たち上あがった。

   As soon as the bell rang, the students stood up all at once.

2. 彼かれは「さよなら」を言いうが早はやいか、電話でんわを切きってしまった。

   No sooner had he said 'goodbye' than he hung up the phone.

3. 弟おとうとは夕飯ゆうはんを食たべ終おわるが早はやいか、ゲームを始はじめた。

   No sooner had my younger brother finished dinner than he started playing video games.

4. 店みせのドアが開あくが早はやいか、客きゃくたちはセール品ひんの売うり場ばへ駆かけ込こんだ。

   The moment the store doors opened, customers rushed to the sale section.

When to use it

Says that a second action follows the first almost instantly, often so fast it is surprising: no sooner had A happened than B. The two events are real, past or habitual facts, described from the outside. Example: ベルが鳴なるが早はやいか、生徒せいとたちは教室きょうしつを飛とび出だした (the bell had barely rung when the students rushed out). Common in narration and written Japanese.

Nuance

Written and narrative style. The second clause is a fact that already happened (usually past), so it cannot be a request, an order, an intention or a plan. It describes a third party or an observed scene more often than the speaker's own deliberate actions.

Compare

や否いなや and なり mean almost the same; なり needs the same subject in both clauses (帰かえるなり寝ねた), while が早はやいか and や否いなや allow different subjects. そばから is for something repeated and undone right away (覚おぼえるそばから忘わすれる). The everyday forms are たとたん (and 次第しだい for future plans: 着つき次第しだい連絡れんらくします).

Tip: Think of it as a race: A barely started and B was already faster. If the second part is a plan or a request, switch to 次第しだい.