Structure
Verb[る]+ そばから + Phrase
Verb[た]+ そばから + Phrase
Details
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Formal
使用域
硬い
Rare Kanji
側・傍
About そばから
(B) is usually something that is considered annoying, unfavorable, or somehow nullifies (A) by the speaker, but there are exceptions. If the more literal translation of 'from right beside (A), (B)' helps to remember the nuance of (B) happening straight away, then that may be a helpful way to memorize this construction.
そばから will follow verbs in either their dictionary or past-tense forms.
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彼女は約束をするそばからすぐ約束を破る。She breaks her promises as soon as she makes them.
- 彼は注意するそばから失敗をするから、私のいうことは聞いていないんだろう。I guess he doesn't listen to me because he makes mistakes as soon as I warn him.
- パソコンを直したそばからまた壊れてしまうから困っている。I'm having trouble with my computer because it breaks down just as soon as I fix it.
- 早く読みすぎると読んだそばから忘れるから、もっとゆっくり読む様にしている。I try to read more slowly, because if I read too quickly, I forget as soon as I read it.
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車の洗車を終えるそばから、雨が降ってきた。It started to rain as soon as I was about to finish washing my car.
Examples
メリーさん「夢を覚えている?」
ゆめじさん「夢なんて起きたそばから忘れてしまうものだけど、夜中に起きてまた眠ると思い出す。」Merry: 'Do you remember your dreams?'
Yumeji: 'Dreams are something I forget as soon as I wake up, but if I wake up in the middle of the night and go back to sleep then I remember.'自転車は直したそばから壊れてしまう。
My bike breaks as soon as I repair it.
あなたって人は、「やるな」と言ったそばからやるんだから。
People like you are just… As soon as I told you not to do it, you still do it…
While そばから is slightly old fashioned, 言ったそばから is still a common expression. In this case, あなたって人は expresses exasperation of the speaker, similar to the English 'How dare you!'.
教わったそばから同じ間違いをおかした。
I made the same mistake as soon as I learned of it.
ケーキが熱いから触らないように言ったそばからこいつは~(そうした)。
As soon as I told him not to touch the cake because it was hot, he… (did so).
The clause after 言ったそばから is often omitted because the intention of the speaker can be understood from the context.
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Online
そばから
JapaneseTest4You
Tendency - そばから
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そばから
Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese
そばから
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そばから – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (1 in total)
Slysoft
About 1 month ago
Is it just me or does the audio for the sentence 教わったそばから同じ間違いをおかした say 終わったそばから