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JLPT N4Time Expressions

うちに— While / Before (window of opportunity)

Expresses doing something while a state still exists, with the nuance that the situation may soon change — so act before that window closes. "While / before (it changes)."

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Pro lessonUNIT 104 · TIME EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Plain form / い-adj / な-adj + な / Noun + の] + うちに

Examples · 例文

  • 若いうちに、たくさん旅行したい。

    Wakai uchi ni, takusan ryokō shitai.

    While I'm young (before I get old), I want to travel a lot.

    い-adjective describing a state that will change + うちに

  • 雨が降らないうちに、帰りましょう。

    Ame ga furanai uchi ni, kaerimashō.

    Let's go home while it isn't raining (before it starts).

    Negative verb + うちに = do it before the change happens

  • 忘れないうちに書いておこう。

    Wasurenai uchi ni kaite okō.

    I'll write it down while I haven't forgotten (before I do).

    Negative verb + うちに = critical "before" nuance

Usage notes · 注意

  • The Clock is Ticking: Use うちに when the state (youth, nice weather, memory) will soon vanish if you don't act now.
  • Vs 間に (aida ni): 間に just marks a span of time during which something happens; うちに adds the pressure of "before it ends / changes."

Commonly confused with

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

vs間に (あいだに)

間に neutrally marks "during the time that..."; うちに adds the nuance "while the chance lasts — before it changes," implying you should act in time.

vsまえに (前に)

前に = plainly "before X happens" (X is a definite point); うちに = "while a state still holds," emphasizing the ongoing window rather than a fixed point.

vsながら

ながら = doing two actions simultaneously by the same person; うちに = doing something within a time window/state, not simultaneous multitasking.

More time expressions

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