N1 Time, Timing, and Transition

~や否いなや: meaning, usage and examples

~や否いなや means: as soon as... / the moment...

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

Examples

1. 飛行機ひこうきが着陸ちゃくりくするや否いなや、乗客じょうきゃくはスマホの電源でんげんを入いれた。

   The moment the plane landed, passengers turned on their phones.

2. 先生せんせいが教室きょうしつに入はいるや否いなや、おしゃべりがピタリと止やんだ。

   As soon as the teacher entered the classroom, the chatting stopped completely.

3. 新しん製品せいひんは発売はつばいされるや否いなや、たちまち売うり切きれた。

   The new product sold out the moment it went on sale.

4. 試合しあい終了しゅうりょうの笛ふえが鳴なるや否いなや、観客かんきゃく席せきから大おおきな拍手はくしゅが起おこった。

   As soon as the final whistle blew, loud applause rose from the stands.

When to use it

Means "the moment A happened, B happened." It stresses that B came with no gap at all, often as a reaction to A. Example: 先生せんせいが入はいってくるや否いなや、教室きょうしつは静しずかになった (the moment the teacher came in, the room went quiet). Used in news writing, novels and formal narration; the shortened form や alone is even more literary.

Nuance

Written, somewhat stiff. The main clause is a past fact, so requests, commands and volition (しよう, してください) cannot follow. Not normally used to describe one's own deliberate plan. Feeling: speed and immediacy, sometimes surprise.

Compare

が早はやいか is nearly identical in meaning and also allows different subjects. なり requires the same subject and often an unexpected act (見みるなり泣なき出だした). そばから is for repeated actions undone right away. In daily speech all of these become たとたん: ドアを開あけたとたん、猫ねこが飛とび出だした.

Tip: Read 否いな as "or not": before you could even say whether A happened or not, B was already happening.