〜が早いか (~ga hayai ka) — no sooner had ~ than
The first thing has barely happened and the next action is already under way — the language of writing and news.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
- In the morning rush: 「電車のドアが開くが早いか、彼は階段へ駆け出した」— the doors had hardly opened when he dashed for the stairs.
- It belongs in writing and the news, not in a chat with friends.
Meaning
- The feeling is in the words themselves — 'so fast you can't tell which came first'.
- What follows is usually something a person does quickly and on purpose — ran, bought, left — with a small 'wow, that fast!' surprise.
How to attach
- Verb dictionary form or た-form + 「が早いか」(開くが早いか・入ったが早いか)
- The verb must be an instant kind of action (開く・鳴る・着く・入る).
Versus what you know
- N3You know 「〜たとたん」(「ドアを開けたとたん、犬が飛び出してきた」) — 「〜が早いか」is its stiffer, written version.
- N3After 「たとたん」there is usually something that just happens by itself (a dog ran out); after 「が早いか」, something a person does on purpose.
Watch out
It only describes something that already happened or always happens — no request, wish or plan after it (「〜てください」「〜たい」「〜しよう」).
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
電車のドアが開くが早いか、彼は階段へ駆け出した。
でんしゃのドアがあくがはやいか、かれはかいだんへかけだした。
No sooner had the train doors opened than he dashed for the stairs.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 開く = to open (happens in an instant) → we attach 「が早いか」 to the 辞書形 → then what he did right away: 駆け出した (dashed off).
セール初日、店が開くが早いか、客が一斉に売り場へ走った。
セールしょにち、みせがあくがはやいか、きゃくがいっせいにうりばへはしった。
On the first day of the sale, the shop had hardly opened when the customers all rushed onto the sales floor.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 店が開く = the shop opens → we attach 「が早いか」 → then what the customers did on purpose, right away: 一斉に走った (ran all at once).
弟は給料が入ったが早いか、新しいスマホを買ってしまった。
おとうとはきゅうりょうがはいったがはやいか、あたらしいスマホをかってしまった。
My younger brother's pay had barely come in when he went and bought a new smartphone.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 入る = (money) to come in → た-form: 入った → we attach 「が早いか」 → then what he did right away: 買ってしまった (went and bought it — "how fast!").
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「授業が終わる＿、学生たちは教室を飛び出した。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: Which particle comes after the dictionary form?
Dictionary form + が早いか. 終わるが早いか = no sooner had it ended than.
In which sentence is 「が早いか」unnatural?
💡 Hint: Is what follows a fact or a request?
Only a fact that happened can follow が早いか; a request like 「〜てください」cannot.
「資料が＿、すぐにご連絡します。」(a promise for later) — which fits?
💡 Hint: What follows is the speaker's own plan.
For a future plan or promise use N3's 「Vます次第」. が早いか・や否や・なり only describe what already happened.
Your score: /3