While, before: 〜うちに
Verb (dictionary / ている / ない) / Adj / Noun + の + うちに
〜うちに: “while” (making the most of a situation before it changes; 〜ないうちに = before) or “as” (a change happens during an action).
In short
〜うちに has two uses. The first: making the most of a situation before it changes (若いうちに, “while you're young”; 暗くならないうちに, “before it gets dark”). The second: while you're doing one thing, something else changes without your noticing (話しているうちに, “as we talked”).
- 若いうちに、いろいろな国へ行ってみたい。わかいうちに、いろいろなくにへいってみたい。While I'm young, I'd like to visit lots of different countries.
- 暗くならないうちに、山を下りましょう。くらくならないうちに、やまをおりましょう。Let's get down the mountain before it gets dark.
- 話しているうちに、彼女のことが好きになった。はなしているうちに、かのじょのことがすきになった。As we talked, I fell in love with her.
The basics
うち refers to “the inside” of a period. 〜うちに means “within that period”: while the situation lasts. It's used when the situation is bound to end and you need to make the most of it first: while you're young, while it's hot, while it's light — English “while”, or “before” with a negative.
Please eat while it's hot.
- adjective
- grammatical form
- other
- verb
- 日本にいるうちに、一度京都のお祭りを見たい。にほんにいるうちに、いちどきょうとのおまつりをみたい。While I'm in Japan, I want to see a Kyoto festival at least once.
- 子どもが寝ているうちに、掃除をしてしまおう。こどもがねているうちに、そうじをしてしまおう。Let's get the cleaning done while the children are asleep.
How to form it
うち is a noun. Verb in the dictionary form, ている or ない; い-adjective as is; な-adjective + な; noun + の.
| Base | Formation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| stative verb | 〜ている / いる + うちに | 日本にいるうちに |
| verb in ない | 〜ない + うちに | 忘れないうちに |
| い-adjective | 〜い + うちに | 若いうちに |
| な-adjective | 〜な + うちに | 元気なうちに |
| noun | 〜の + うちに | 学生のうちに・今のうちに |
- 今のうちに、切符を買っておこう。いまのうちに、きっぷをかっておこう。Let's buy the tickets while we can.
- 両親が元気なうちに、一緒に旅行したい。りょうしんがげんきなうちに、いっしょにりょこうしたい。I want to travel with my parents while they're still healthy.
A change you don't see coming
With 〜ている or a repeated verb, うちに describes something else: while you're doing something, a change gradually happens without your noticing. The second part is then often 〜ようになった, 〜てしまった, 〜てきた.
- 毎日聞いているうちに、日本語がわかるようになってきた。まいにちきいているうちに、にほんごがわかるようになってきた。Listening every day, I've started to understand Japanese.
うちに, 前に, 間に
前に simply gives the order of things: 暗くなる前に帰る, “go home before dark”. 〜ないうちに adds urgency: you need to act while it's still possible, before the situation deteriorates. 間に (next point) marks a moment within a period with clear limits, with no idea of “making the most of it”.
| Sentence | Nuance |
|---|---|
| 暗くなる前に帰る | go home before dark (simple order) |
| 暗くならないうちに帰る | go home while it's still light (urgency) |
| 夏休みの間に宿題をする | do homework during the holidays (set period) |
- 夏休みの間に、宿題を終わらせた。なつやすみのあいだに、しゅくだいをおわらせた。I finished my homework during the summer holidays.
Common mistakes
- Translating 暗くならないうちに word for word (“while it doesn't get dark”) and getting lost: it's “before it gets dark”.
- Using うちに with a precise, neutral limit: “during the holidays, from this date to that” is rather 間に.
- Putting the verb in the past: 「若かったうちに」 is wrong; うちに always follows a non-past form.
8 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N3 point is on the Sagano Line (Travel) of the Kyoto lines.