<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='49'>お母（かあ）さん</span>が<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='82'>ケーキ</span>を焼（や）き<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='264'>上（あ）げる</span><strong>が<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='24' data-vocab-id='639'>早（はや）い</span>か</strong>、<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='50'>お父（とう）さん</span>が食（た）べ始（はじ）めた。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='1096'>黒（くろ）</span>ずくめの<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='806'>男（おとこ）</span>は探偵（たんてい）を見（み）つけた<strong>が<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='24' data-vocab-id='639'>早（はや）い</span>か</strong>、疾風（しっぷう）のごとく駆（か）け出（だ）した。

<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='464'>夜（よる）</span>、幼（おさな）い魔法使（まほうつか）いが<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='855'>窓（まど）</span>を<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='12' data-vocab-id='1037'>開（あ）ける</span><strong>が<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='24' data-vocab-id='639'>早（はや）い</span>か</strong>、<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='821'>白（しろ）</span>フクロウが飛（と）び込（こ）んできた。

自動（じどう）<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='168'>ドア</span>が<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='1035'>開（ひら）く</span><strong>が<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='24' data-vocab-id='639'>早（はや）い</span>か</strong>、まもなく<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='302'>人々（ひとびと）</span>は<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='1053'>電車（でんしゃ）</span>に乗（の）り込（こ）んだ。

小説（しょうせつ）：「田中（たなか）は<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='826'>目（め）</span>が覚（さ）めた<strong>が<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='24' data-vocab-id='639'>早（はや）い</span>か</strong><span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='215'>ベッド</span>から飛（と）び起（お）きた。」

あやめは兵士（へいし）たちの姿（すがた）が<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='826'>目（め）</span>に<span class='vocab-popout' data-vocab-id='361'>入（はい）る</span><strong>が<span class='gp-popout vocab-popout' data-gp-id='24' data-vocab-id='639'>早（はや）い</span>か</strong>、いきなりそばの畑（はたけ）に逃（に）げ込（こ）んでしまった。

<div class='writeup-body'><span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='931'>が早（はや）いか</span> is an expression in Japanese that groups with verbs, for the purpose of indicating an action which is immediately followed by a second, often unexpected action. It is a combination of the case-marking particle が, the い-Adjective 早（はや）い 'soon', and the <span class='info-highlight' data-term='副助詞・ふくじょし'>adverbial particle</span> か. It is often translated as 'no sooner than (A), (B)', or 'the instant that (A), (B)'. The more literal translation, taking into account the use of か, is '(A), or possibly sooner, (B)'. This just illustrates the instantaneousness of the (B) action in that (A) was unable to be determined as actually completed before (B) started.<br>
This grammar pattern is formal, and will follow verbs in their dictionary or past tense forms. The verb that comes in the (B) phrase will always be in the past tense.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'>
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<div class='writeup-example--japanese'>
彼女（かのじょ）は彼（かれ）が書（か）いた手紙（てがみ）を読（よ）む<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='931'>が早（はや）いか</span>、悲（かな）しさのあまりで泣（な）き始（はじ）めた。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>
As soon as she read the letter from her boyfriend, she started to cry out of joy.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>


息子（むすこ）は食卓（しょくたく）に座（すわ）る<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='931'>が早（はや）いか</span>、並（なら）べてあった夕食（ゆうしょく）を吸（す）い込（こ）むように食（く）い上（あ）げた。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>
As soon as my son sat at the dining table, he ate all the food that was out as if he sucked them up.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>


木村（きむら）くんはアラームが鳴（な）った<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='931'>が早（はや）いか</span>、スヌーズボタンを押（お）した。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>
As soon as the alarm went off, Kimura-kun pressed the snooze button.</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>


警察官（けいさつかん）は犯人（はんにん）を見（み）つけた<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='931'>が早（はや）いか</span>、犯人（はんにん）に飛（と）びつき手錠（てじょう）をかけた。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>
As soon as the police officer saw the suspect, he jumped onto him and handcuffed him.</div></li></ul>
(A) will tend to be actions that happen momentarily, or having a clearly defined finish point. For actions that don't have a clearly defined finish point, 終（お）わる 'to finish' will often be linked to the stem form, in order to specify the end. Additionally, while the (B) action will often be unexpected, it will also usually be volitional, that is to say something done intentionally.
<div class='writeup-caution'><div class='caution-header'>Caution</div>Due to <span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='931'>が早（はや）いか</span> always expressing something in the past, it cannot be used to express wishes or intentions for the future. Additionally, it will not highlight the speaker's own actions.<ul class='writeup-examples--holder'>
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<div class='writeup-example--japanese'>
雨（あめ）が止（や）む<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='931'>が早（はや）いか</span>、出（で）かけるつもりだ。 </div><div class='writeup-example--english'>
As soon as the rain stops, I am planning to go out. (Unnatural Japanese)</div></li><li class='writeup-example'><div class='writeup-example--japanese'>


俺（おれ）は毎日（まいにち）家（いえ）に荷物（にもつ）を置（お）く<span class='gp-popout' data-gp-id='931'>が早（はや）いか</span>、友達（ともだち）の家（いえ）に行（い）く。</div><div class='writeup-example--english'>
I go to my friends house as soon as I drop my stuff off at home, everyday. (Unnatural Japanese)</div></li></ul></div></div>

Grammar Info

が早(はや)いか

As soon as, No sooner than, The instant that, No sooner had