Grammar Info

N3 Lesson 1: 5/22

(うち)While, During

Structure

Verb[ている]+ うちに
[い]Adjective + うちに
[な]Adjective + + うちに
Noun + + うちに

Details

  • Standard

  • Rare Kanji

    裡に

About うちに

When うち, (sometimes seen using the kanji (うち), or (うち)) is paired with the case marking particle , it expresses a period/space 'within' which something else will/should happen/exist. It quite often (but not always) carries the nuance of (A) being the 'best', or the 'optimal' time/space within which (B) could occur/exist. In English, うちに can simply be translated as 'while', or 'during'.

うちに may be paired with the dictionary or ている form of verbs, the plain form of い-Adjectives, nouns followed by の, or な-Adjectives that are followed by な.

Unlike (あいだ), うちに expresses something that can happen/exist anywhere 'within' the span of (A), and is therefore non-specific as to where (B) is located.

Fun Fact

The kanji (うち) refers literally to the inner walls/lining of something, and anything that is enclosed within that space. This can be thought of as where the 'non-specificity' of うち comes from, in regard to where within that space something is.



Examples

--:--

  • (ちか)(うち)連絡(れんらく)します。

    I'll be in touch before long.

  • (てつ)(あつ)(うち)()て。

    Strike while the iron is hot.

  • 授業(じゅぎょう)()けている(うち)宿題(しゅくだい)完成(かんせい)させた。

    I was able to finish my homework while taking a class.

  • (あか)ちゃんは()べている(うち)()てしまった。

    The baby fell asleep while eating.

  • 日本(にほん)にいる(うち)東京(とうきょう)()ってみたい。

    While I am in Japan, I want to see Tokyo.

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      うちに – Grammar Discussion

      Most Recent Replies (18 in total)

      • dharlequin

        dharlequin

        Seems like over the year ChatGPT got a little better in this particular example:

        1. 運転している間に眠くなったので、コンビニで休憩をした。

        I got sleepy at some point while I was driving, so I took a break at a convenience store.

        • “間に” emphasizes the time span of driving.
        • It means: “During that period of driving, this (getting sleepy) happened.”
        • Neutral, factual, and time-based.
        • Implication: sleepiness was
      • casual

        casual

        Is this LLM explanation based on anything though? Can it cite an authoritative source, like a textbook equivalent, or a post aimed at Japanese language professionals (TV/book editors and such)?

        I don’t know if I’ve seen the ideas that “うちに implies a change or development over time”, or “emphasize that one state gradually led to another: → うちに” before.

        I’d consider うちに・間に essentially synonymous in this example. And if one is really searching for a nuance, that’d be that with うちに driving is a situation especially conductive of sleepiness. So if one would stop driving, that would also automatically prevent sleepiness.

      • Newkidi

        Newkidi

        Hey, i hope everyone is doing well i just have a hard time regarding うちに this applies for 間に as well i get everything with the adjective and noun usage but when it comes to verb I’m lost. apparently with ているうちに can mean while your doing something something happens. cool i got that 私が寝てるうち・間に弟が来た but in cases like this 彼と毎日会ううちに、だんだんと彼のことが好きになってきた。confuses me like its the while this happened something changes "“as i am doing something. something changed” okay but like some examples are like 日本語を勉強してるうちに上手になった like as im speaking now? as i been speaking its improved??? or like 連絡してるうちに上手になった as in while ur currently doing it? idk why im struggling with this the while i do this… this happens i understand but the as i do x… y change takes place im struggling. another example would be さらに不気味な海 進 むうちに少女はおう ちが恋 しくなり or like 友達と話してるうちに日本語が話せるようになった sorry im using alot of examples to hopefully give you all a picture of what im not understanding. practically Dictionary form + うちに and the ...

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