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JLPT N4Time Expressions

ている間に— While doing (another event occurred)

Expresses that one event occurs during the time another action is in progress. The 間に event happens at some point within the progressive action's timeframe.

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Pro lessonUNIT 92 · TIME EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Verb て-form + いる] + 間に + [Event]

Examples · 例文

  • シャワーを浴びている間に電話が鳴った。

    Shawaa wo abite iru aida ni denwa ga natta.

    The phone rang while I was taking a shower.

    浴びている間に (while showering) + 電話が鳴った (the phone rang)

  • 先生が話している間に眠ってしまった。

    Sensei ga hanashite iru aida ni nemutte shimatta.

    I fell asleep while the teacher was talking.

    話している間に = while the teacher was speaking + 眠ってしまった (ended up falling asleep)

  • 電車を待っている間に、コンビニでお茶を買いました。

    Densha o matte iru aida ni, konbini de ocha o kaimashita.

    While I was waiting for the train, I bought some tea at the convenience store.

    待っている間に (while waiting) + お茶を買いました (bought tea within that window)

Usage notes · 注意

  • Key Concept: ている間に = at some point WHILE an action was in progress.
  • Detail: ている間 (without に) = throughout the whole time the action was in progress.
  • Summary: Common pattern for "something happened while I was doing X."

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ている間に is tested against.

vs間 (without に)

〜間に (with に) = a single event happens at one point during the span; 〜間 (no に) = an action continues throughout the entire span (テレビを見ている間、食べていた = ate the whole time I watched TV).

vs〜うちに

うちに stresses doing something before a state changes/ends ('while it still holds' — 熱いうちに食べる = eat while still hot); ている間に simply locates an event within an ongoing action, with no 'before it's too late' nuance.

vs〜ながら

ながら = the SAME subject does two actions simultaneously (歩きながら話す = talk while walking); ている間に typically has DIFFERENT subjects for the two events.

More time expressions

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