そばから

As soon as, Right after, Even if … still

彼女かのじょは約束やくそくをするそばからすぐ約束やくそくを破やぶる。

She breaks her promises as soon as she makes them.

Explanation

「そばから」 means 'as soon as I finish one thing, the next thing undoes it', and this happens again and again, so the effort is wasted.

Examples: 「片付けるそばから子供がおもちゃを散らかす」 (No sooner do I tidy up than the kids scatter the toys again), 「教えるそばから忘れてしまう」 (He forgets as soon as I teach him).

It carries helplessness and irritation. It follows the dictionary or た form, and the second part is usually something negative that spoils the result.

Mixed up with

「そばから」: the point is repetition and wasted effort (tidy then mess up, teach then forget).

「が早いか」 and 「や否や」: a single 'the moment A happened, B happened', with no feeling of repeated, wasted effort, as in rushing out the moment the news arrived.

Easily confused withが早いか・や否や・なり・そばから: the difference ›

Examples

パソコンを直なおしたそばからまた壊こわれてしまうから困こまっている。
I'm having trouble with my computer because it breaks down just as soon as I fix 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…
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.
彼かれは注意ちゅういするそばから失敗しっぱいをするから、私わたしのいうことは聞きいていないんだろう。
I guess he doesn't listen to me because he makes mistakes as soon as I warn him.
早はやく読よみすぎると読よんだそばから忘わすれるから、もっとゆっくり読よむ様ようにしている。
I try to read more slowly, because if I read too quickly, I forget as soon as I read 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いったそばから、こいつは～。
As soon as I told him not to touch the cake because it was hot, this guy...
新人しんじん育成いくせいがつらい。彼かれらは言いったそばからどんどん忘わすれてしまう。
It's hard to train new employees. As soon as I tell them something, they immediately forget it.
夫おっとはダイエットをすると言いったそばからポテトチップスを食たべ始はじめたが、それはいつもの事ことである。
My husband started eating chips as soon as he said that he will start a diet, but that's the same as always.
バイト代だいが入はいったそばから全すべて使つかってしまい、後あとになってその事ことを後悔こうかいし始はじめた。
As soon as I received the wages for my part time job, I used the whole lot and began to regret it afterwards.
「喧嘩けんかをやめなさい」と息子むすこたちを叱しかったそばから喧嘩けんかをするので、諦あきらめる事ことにしました。
Since my sons will start arguing as soon as I scold them with 'stop fighting', I decided to give up.
聞きいたそばから忘わすれてしまうなら、忘わすれないようにメモを取とるようにしたらどうですか？
If you forget something as soon as you hear it, how about making sure to take a note in order not to forget it?
模試もしの解とき方かたを教おしえたそばから忘わすれてしまうなんて、困こまったものだ。
He forgets how to solve the mock-exam questions as soon as I teach him. What a headache.
認知症にんちしょうを患わずらっている叔母おばはご飯はんを食たべたそばから忘わすれてしまうので、一日いちにちに何回なんかいもご飯はんを要求ようきゅうしてきます。
Since my auntie, who suffers from dementia, forgets as soon as she has eaten, she comes requesting food many times a day.
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、夜中よなかに起お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.'
洗車せんしゃしたそばから雨あめが降ふってくるんだから、嫌いやになる。
Every time I wash the car, it starts raining right away. It drives me mad.