Verbる が早いか (verb-ru ga hayai ka)
Explanation
Expresses 'as soon as...' or 'the moment when...'.
Formation
Verb-dictionary form + が早いか
Detailed Explanation
Verbる が早いか indicates that something happens immediately after something else. It's similar to 'as soon as...' or 'no sooner than...'.
Examples
部屋に入るが早いか、彼はテレビをつけた。
Heya ni hairu ga hayai ka, kare wa terebi o tsuketa.
No sooner had he entered the room than he turned on the TV.
電車に乗るが早いか、私はすぐに眠ってしまった。
Densha ni noru ga hayai ka, watashi wa sugu ni nemutte shimatta.
As soon as I got on the train, I immediately fell asleep.
彼女が見るが早いか、すぐに泣き始めた。
Kanojo ga miru ga hayai ka, sugu ni naki hajimeta.
The moment she looked, she began to cry.
給料をもらうが早いか、全て使い果たしてしまった。
Kyuuryou o morau ga hayai ka, subete tsukaihatashite shimatta.
No sooner had I received my salary than I spent it all.
Grammar content sourced from hanabira.org.