が早いか
(Ga hayai ka)
as soon as / the moment that (literary).
Connection rules
- ＋V dict-form + が早いか.
- ＋Literary 'as soon as' — similar to や否や, なり, か〜ないかのうちに.
- ＋Very formal / literary register — common in narratives and dramatic prose.
Examples
1.
ベルが鳴るが早いか、生徒たちは走り出した。
Beru ga naru ga hayai ka, seito tachi wa hashiridashi ta.
The moment the bell rang, the students ran out.
「as soon as / the moment that (literary)」
2.
彼は座るが早いか、居眠りを始めた。
Kare wa suwaru ga hayai ka, inemuri o hajime ta.
As soon as he sat down, he began to doze off.
「as soon as / the moment that (literary)」
Practice
The moment the chime rang, the clerk closed the reception desk.
___、係員は受付の窓口を閉めた。
Romaji also accepted