Meaning & usage
うちに expresses doing something while a state or opportunity lasts, before it changes and the chance is lost. It follows the non-past form of verbs, including negatives like 帰らないうちに and ongoing actions like 歩いているうちに, i-adjectives like 若いうちに, na-adjectives with な, and nouns with の like 朝のうちに. The main clause often describes an intentional action taken advantage of that limited time.
Example sentences 7
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チャンスがあるうちに私の警告を聞くべきだったんだよ。
You should have listened to my warning when you had the chance.
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若いうちにたくさんの本を読むべきだ。
While you're young, you should read a lot.
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私たちが仕事をし終えないうちにベルが鳴った。
We had not finished our work before the bell rang.
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あまり遠くに行かないうちに夕立にあった。
I had not gone very far when I was caught in a shower.
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朝のうちに電話するよ。
I'll give you a call in the morning.
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彼は森の中を歩いているうちに迷ってしまった。
He got lost in the course of walking in the woods.
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暗くならないうちに帰るんだよ。
Come home before it gets dark.
In past JLPT papers
This came up in 15 past exam questions.
And 11 more tests.
