〜たとたんに - Indicating Immediate Occurrence of an Action
Explanation
「〜たとたんに」 is used to describe two actions that happen almost simultaneously, emphasizing the immediacy and unexpectedness of the sequence.
Grammar Pattern
| Grammar Point | Connection | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Verbた-form + とたんに | Verbた-form + とたんに | Indicates that two events occur almost at the same time, emphasizing unexpectedness. Typically used for non-volitional actions. |
Basic Usage
- Immediacy and Unexpectedness: Emphasizes that the second action happens immediately after the first, often with an element of surprise.
- Only Used in Past Tense: This expression is only used for events that have already happened, and it connects to the た-form of verbs.
- Instantaneous Change: Suitable for describing sudden changes where there is almost no time gap between the two actions.
Examples
ドア を開 けたとたんに、猫 が飛 び出 した。- Doa o aketa totan ni, neko ga tobidashita.
- As soon as I opened the door, the cat jumped out.
雨 が降 り出 したとたんに、傘 を忘 れたことに気 がついた。- Ame ga furidashita totan ni, kasa o wasureta koto ni ki ga tsuita.
- As soon as it started raining, I realized I had forgotten my umbrella.
彼 が言 ったとたんに、皆 が笑 い始 めた。- Kare ga itta totan ni, mina ga waraidashita.
- As soon as he said it, everyone started laughing.
Deep Dive
「〜たとたんに」 emphasizes that there is almost no time gap between the two actions, and they happen instantaneously. It is generally not used to describe volitional actions, as those are usually predictable and do not fit the "unexpectedness" characteristic.
Real-Life Scenarios
Scenario: Two colleagues chatting in the office.
- A:
昨日 、家 に帰 ったとたんに、停電 になったんだよ。 - Kinou, ie ni kaetta totan ni, teiden ni nattan da yo.
- As soon as I got home yesterday, there was a power outage.
- B: ええっ、それは大変
たいへん だったね！どうしたの？ - Ee, sore wa taihen datta ne! Dou shita no?
- Wow, that must have been tough! What did you do?
Summary
「〜たとたんに」 is a highly practical Japanese expression used to describe two actions that happen almost simultaneously, often with an element of surprise. Mastering this expression can make your Japanese more vivid and precise.