や否や

―やいなや【―や否や】

as soon as...

…するとすぐに

As soon as I opened the cage， the dog rushed out. 私がおりを開けるやいなやその犬はとび出して行った

hardly ［scarcely］... when

…するとすぐ

I had hardly started when it began to rain. 出発するやいなや雨が降りだした(＝《略式》As soon as I started， it...).

¶帰宅する～雨が降り出した

Hardly had I got home than ［As soon as I got home］ it began to rain.

* * *

-やいなや【-や否や】

1 〔…するとすぐに〕 the minute (that)…; no sooner than….

●彼女はそれを聞くや否や飛び出していった. The minute she heard it she rushed out.

・彼は私の姿を見るや否や出ていった. He had no sooner caught sight of me than he went out. | The moment he saw me he went out.

・首相退陣の第一報が流れるや否や株価は急落した. The moment that news of the Premier's resignation came out, stock prices plunged.

2 〔…かどうか〕 whether or not….

●彼は果たして行いを改めるや否や. It remains to be seen whether or not he'll mend his ways.

・この物語, ハッピーエンドに終わるや否や. Can we hope that the story will have a happy ending?