や否や
As soon as, No sooner than, The minute
Structure
(1)や
Explanation
や否や is a grammatical expression that, much like か否か, uses the word 否, meaning 'no'. While か is an adverbial particle that creates the meaning 'whether or not (A)', や acts as a conjunction particle to express 'the moment (A) happened, (B) happened', or 'immediately after (A), (B)'. The underlying nuance of や否や is that B occurs so quickly after A that there is no time to even consider if A didn't happen.
This grammar pattern attaches to the dictionary form of a verb.
- チャイムが鳴るや否や、生徒たちは教室から飛び出した。The moment the bell rang, the students rushed out of the classroom.
- 赤ちゃんは母の顔を見るや否や、にこっと笑った。As soon as the baby saw its mother's face, it broke into a smile.
- 彼は家に着くや否や、ベッドに倒れ込んだ。He collapsed onto the bed the moment he got home.
や否や is a somewhat formal expression, often used when the second event (B) is an involuntary, sudden, or unexpected occurrence.
Caution
The particle や can imply 'and so on', and due to this, it is possible to omit 否や from this structure without any change in meaning. When used alone, や conveys a sense of immediacy similar to や否や, carrying a nuance of 'just as (A) was happening, (B) occurred'.
- ドアが開くや、猫が飛び出してきた。A cat jumped out as soon as the door opened.
- 彼が電車に乗るや、ドアが閉まった。The doors closed as soon as he got on the train.
Examples
赤ちゃんは母親の姿を認めるや否や、にこっと笑った。
The baby broke into a smile as soon as it recognized its mother.
授業終了のチャイムが鳴るや否や、生徒たちは一斉に廊下へ飛び出した。
As soon as the bell signaling the end of class rang, the students all burst out into the hallway.
記事：「大臣が問題発言をするや否や、国民からの批判が殺到した。」
Article: 'No sooner had the minister made the problematic remark than a flood of criticism from the public poured in.'
玄関のドアを開けるや否や、飼い猫が足元をすり抜けて外へ出ていった。
The instant I opened the front door, my pet cat slipped past my feet and went outside.
映画館の照明が落ちるや否や、ざわついていた場内がしんと静まりかえった。
As soon as the lights in the movie theater went down, the buzzing venue fell dead silent.
合格通知を手にするや否や、彼は嬉しさのあまり叫び声を上げた。
The moment he got the acceptance letter in his hands, he let out a cry of joy.
小説：「人気歌手がステージに登場するや否や、会場は割れんばかりの大歓声に包まれた。」
Novel: 'As soon as the popular singer appeared on stage, the venue was enveloped in a deafening roar of cheers.'
太陽が地平線に沈むや否や、急に辺りが肌寒くなった。
As soon as the sun sank below the horizon, the air suddenly became chilly.
スタートボタンを押すや否や、工場の機械が轟音とともに動き出した。
The moment the start button was pushed, the factory machinery roared to life.
ラジオから懐かしい曲が流れてくるや否や、学生時代の記憶が鮮明に蘇った。
As soon as that nostalgic song came on the radio, memories from my student days came flooding back vividly.
ゴキブリを見つけるや否や、彼女は悲鳴を上げた。
The moment she spotted the cockroach, she let out a scream.
火災報知器が鳴り響くや否や、人々はパニックになって出口に向かった。
The moment the fire alarm blared, people started to panic and head for the exits.
ピストルの音がするや否や、選手たちは一斉にスタートラインを蹴った。
The instant the pistol fired, the runners all kicked off from the starting line.
劇のレビュー：「幕が上がるや否や、観客は壮大なセットに息をのんだ。」
Play Review: 'As soon as the curtain rose, the audience gasped at the magnificent set.'