Verb dictionary form + が早いか

[No sooner than / The instant]

Connection: Verb dictionary form + が早いか

Usage: Indicates that the second action occurs almost simultaneously with or immediately after the first action. Emphasizes extreme speed and immediacy. Literary expression, often used in narrative writing.

Examples:

ベルが鳴るが早いか、生徒たちは教室を飛び出した。(No sooner had the bell rung than the students rushed out of the classroom.)

ドアを開けるが早いか、猫が外に飛び出した。(The instant the door was opened, the cat leapt outside.)

合図を見るが早いか、選手たちは一斉にスタートした。(No sooner had they seen the signal than the athletes all started at once.)