Meaning & usage
かと思うと expresses that one completed event is followed almost immediately by another, often with a sense of surprise at how quickly things changed. It attaches to the past ta-form of a verb, as in 着いたかと思うと or 止んだかと思うと. Both clauses describe realized events in sequence, so the second verb is normally in the past tense and the interval between them is very short, not a long span like overnight.
Example sentences 4
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電車が着いたかと思うと、すぐに出発した。
No sooner had the train arrived than it left again.
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雨が止んだかと思うと、また降り出した。
No sooner had the rain stopped than it started falling again.
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子どもが泣いたかと思うと、すぐ笑った。
The child had barely cried before laughing right away.
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家に帰ったかと思うと、電話が鳴った。
As soon as I got home, the phone rang.
In past JLPT papers
This came up in 1 past exam question.
