〜や否や (~ya ina ya) — the moment ~ / hardly had ~ when
The 'the moment' of the news — one thing happens, and the reaction bursts out at once.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
- Reading the news you meet sentences like 「チケットの販売が始まるや否や、サイトにアクセスが集中した」— the moment ticket sales opened, the website was swamped.
- It is a stiff, written word — don't use it when chatting with friends; there 「〜たとたん」is the right choice.
Meaning
- 「否」means 'no', so 「や否や」carries the feeling 'before you could say whether it had happened or not'.
- Something bursts out at once in reaction to the first event — sales open, the site is flooded; the police appear, the thief runs.
How to attach
- Only a verb's dictionary form + 「や否や」— even for a past event you never say 「始まったや否や」.
- In writing you also meet the short 「〜や」without 「否や」(見るや) — same meaning.
Versus what you know
- N2The meaning is the same as 「〜か〜ないかのうちに」, but 「や否や」is a stiffer, written word.
- 「が早いか」earlier in this lesson shows a person's own quick move (the doors opened and he ran); 「や否や」shows an instant reaction to the first event.
Watch out
What follows is a fact that really happened — no request or plan like 「〜てください」「〜つもりだ」.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
チケットの販売が始まるや否や、サイトにアクセスが集中した。
チケットのはんばいがはじまるやいなや、サイトにアクセスがしゅうちゅうした。
The moment ticket sales began, the website was flooded with visitors.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 始まる = to begin → attach 「や否や」 straight to the 辞書形 (even though the sentence is in the past) → then the reaction that came right away: アクセスが集中した (it got crowded).
大雪で電車が止まるや否や、タクシー乗り場に長い列ができた。
おおゆきででんしゃがとまるやいなや、タクシーのりばにながいれつができた。
The moment the trains stopped because of the heavy snow, a long line formed at the taxi stand.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 止まる = to stop → attach 「や否や」 → then the reaction to it: 長い列ができた (a long line formed) — it's fine even if the subject is different.
犯人は警官の姿を見るや否や、反対方向へ逃げ出した。
はんにんはけいかんのすがたをみるやいなや、はんたいほうこうへにげだした。
The moment the culprit saw the police officer, they ran off in the opposite direction.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 見る = to see → attach 「や否や」 → then what the culprit did right away in response to seeing it: 逃げ出した (ran away) — news-report style.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「新製品が発表され＿否や、問い合わせが相次いだ。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: Which form, even for a past event?
や否や always takes the dictionary form: 発表されるや否や. Never 「されたや否や」.
In which sentence is 「や否や」unnatural?
💡 Hint: Is what follows a fact or a request?
Only a fact can follow や否や; not a request like 「〜てください」. Say 「着いたらすぐ」there.
To a friend: 「昨日さ、家に＿、寝ちゃったよ。」— which is most natural?
💡 Hint: Chat language or news language?
や否や and が早いか are stiff written forms; with a friend use 「〜たとたん」. そばから is for things repeated again and again.
Your score: /3