At a glance
Verb + が早いか means "as soon as" or "the moment". It shows that a second action happened immediately after the first. It is mostly used in written Japanese and stories.
[Verb dictionary form / た-form] + が早いか、[what happened next]
ベルが鳴るが早いか、生徒たちは教室を飛び出した。 The moment the bell rang, the students dashed out of the classroom.
How to form it
が早いか attaches to the plain form of a verb:
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb, dictionary form (more common) | 帰る + が早いか | 家に帰るが早いか |
| Verb, た-form | 帰った + が早いか | 家に帰ったが早いか |
Both 帰るが早いか and 帰ったが早いか are correct. The register is written and literary.