るや否や (ru ya ina ya) meaning: as soon as, the moment...

When to use

Formal, literary "no sooner than" - written narrative style.

Explanation

The grammar point Verbるや否や is used to express something happening immediately after another action or event. It can be translated as 'as soon as...' or 'the moment...'. The verb must be in dictionary form.

Example sentences

彼女かのじょが家いえに帰かえるや否いなや、すぐにテレビをつけました。

As soon as she returned home, she turned on the TV.

Kanojo ga ie ni kaeru ya ina ya, sugu ni terebi o tsukemashita.
私わたしが郵便箱ゆうびんばこを開あけるや否いなや、手紙てがみが落おちました。

The moment I opened the mailbox, the letters fell out.

Watashi ga yuubinbako o akeru ya ina ya, tegami ga ochimashita.
子供こどもたちは学校がっこうが終おわるや否いなや、公園こうえんに走はしりました。

As soon as school was over, the children ran to the park.

Kodomo-tachi wa gakkou ga owaru ya ina ya, kouen ni hashirimashita.
父ちちが新聞しんぶんを読よむや否いなや、何なにかに震ふるえていました。

The moment my father read the newspaper, he started trembling about something.

Chichi ga shinbun o yomu ya ina ya, nanika ni furuete imashita.

As Soon As (The Moment That)

Compare when to use each

Corpus examples (20)

外そとに出でるや否いなや雨あめが降ふってきた。

No sooner had I gone out than it began to rain.
家いえを出でるや否いなや激はげしく雨あめが降ふり出だした。

I had no sooner left the house than it began to rain hard.
私わたしが家いえにつくや否いなや妹いもうとは出でて行いった。

As soon as I got home, my sister went out.
一人ひとりになるや否いなや、彼女かのじょはその手紙てがみを開ひらいた。

The moment she was alone she opened the letter.
寝室しんしつに入はいるや否いなや、彼女かのじょは泣なきじゃくり出だした。

On entering the bedroom, she started sobbing.
彼女かのじょは私わたしを見みるや否いなや、わっと泣なき出だした。

The moment she saw me, she burst into tears.
彼かれが部屋へやにはいるや否いなや、彼女かのじょはわっと泣なき出だした。

Hardly had he entered the room, when she burst into tears.
彼かれは警官けいかんをみるや否いなや走はしり去さった。

As soon as he saw the policeman, he ran away.
その警官けいかんの姿すがたを見みかけるや否いなや、彼かれは逃にげ出だした。

The instant he saw the policeman, he ran away.
彼かれは警官けいかんを見みるや否いなや逃亡とうぼうした。

As soon as he saw the policeman, he ran away.
彼かれは警察官けいさつかんを見みるや否いなや逃にげて行いった。

As soon as he caught sight of a policeman, he ran away.
彼かれはそれを見みるや否いなや青あおくなった。

No sooner had he seen it than he turned pale.
座すわるや否いなや、眠ねむりに落おちてしまった。

As soon as I sat down, I fell asleep.
座すわるや否いなや、眠ねむり込こんでしまった。

As soon as I sat down, I fell asleep.
その部屋へやに入はいるや否いなや私わたしは、煙草たばこの臭くさいのほかにガスの匂においがするのに気きがついた。

No sooner had I entered the room than I noticed the smell not only of tobacco but of gas.
彼かれが到着とうちゃくするや否いなや、バスは出発しゅっぱつした。

No sooner had he arrived than the bus departed.
その知しらせを聞きくや否いなや彼かれはさっと立たち上あがった。

He jumped to his feet the moment he heard the news.
彼かれは床ゆかにつくや否いなや、眠ねむってしまった。

As soon as he went to bed, he fell asleep.
彼女かのじょはそれを聞きくや否いなやすぐここへ来きた。

She came here as soon as she heard of it.
トムは目覚めざまし時計どけいが鳴なるや否いなや、ベッドから飛とび起おきた。

Tom jumped out of bed as soon as the alarm clock went off.

Formation

When to use

Explanation

Example sentences

As Soon As (The Moment That)