Grammar Info

N1 Lesson 5: 18/18

そばからAs soon as, Right after, Even if … still

Structure

Verb［る］+ そばから + Phrase
Verb［た］+ そばから + Phrase

Details

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    Formal

  • Rare Kanji

    側・傍

About そばから

そばから is a combination of the noun 側(そば) 'side', and the case marking particle から 'from'. It illustrates something that happens immediately upon (A), and can be translated as 'as soon as (A), (B)', or 'right after (A), (B)'.

(B) is usually something that is considered annoying, unfavorable, or somehow nullifies (A) by the speaker, but there are exceptions. If the more literal translation of 'from right beside (A), (B)' helps to remember the nuance of (B) happening straight away, then that may be a helpful way to memorize this construction.

そばから will follow verbs in either their dictionary or past-tense forms.

Regardless of whether the dictionary or the past-tense form of a verb is used, as そばから means 'right after (A)', the meaning will not change at all.

Caution

そばから will almost always imply that (B) is something that always happens upon (A), rather than being a once-off situation.

  • 車(くるま)の洗車(せんしゃ)を終(お)えるそばから、雨(あめ)が降(ふ)ってきた。
    It started to rain as soon as I was about to finish washing my car.

Examples

--:--

    メリーさん「夢(ゆめ)を覚(おぼ)えている？」
    ゆめじさん「夢(ゆめ)なんて起(お)きたそばから忘(わす)れてしまうものだけど、夜(や)中(ちゅう)に起きてまた眠(ねむ)ると思(おも)い出(だ)す。」

    Merry: 'Do you remember your dreams?'
    Yumeji: 'Dreams are something I forget as soon as I wake up, but if I wake up in the middle of the night and go back to sleep then I remember.'

    自転車(じてんしゃ)は直(なお)したそばから壊(こわ)れてしまう。

    My bike breaks as soon as I repair it.

    あなたって人(ひと)は、「やるな」と言(い)ったそばからやるんだから。

    People like you are just… As soon as I told you not to do it, you still do it…

    教(おそ)わったそばから同(おな)じ間違(まちが)いをおかした。

    I made the same mistake as soon as I learned of it.

    ケーキが熱(あつ)いから触(さわ)らないように言ったそばから こいつは～（そうした）。

    As soon as I told him not to touch the cake because it was hot, he… (did so).

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      そばから – Grammar Discussion

      Most Recent Replies (1 in total)

      • Slysoft

        Slysoft

        Is it just me or does the audio for the sentence 教わったそばから同じ間違いをおかした say 終わったそばから

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