At a glance
Verb (dictionary form) + や否や means "as soon as" or "the moment". The second event happens right after the first. It is a formal expression, used mostly in writing.
[Verb dictionary form] や否や、[what happened next]。
ベルが鳴るや否や、学生たちは教室を飛び出した。 As soon as the bell rang, the students rushed out of the classroom.
How to form it
や否や attaches to the dictionary form of a verb. The verb stays in the dictionary form even when the whole sentence is about the past.
| Attaches to | Example | Register |
|---|---|---|
| う-verb | 鳴る → 鳴るや否や | Formal, written |
| る-verb | 見る → 見るや否や | Formal, written |
| する | 発表する → 発表するや否や | Formal, written |
| 来る | 来る → 来るや否や | Formal, written |
| Passive | 発売される → 発売されるや否や | Formal, written |
It follows verbs only, not nouns or adjectives.