なり

As soon as, The moment, When

息子むすこが家いえに上あがるなりトイレへと駆かけ込こんだ。

My son ran to the toilet as soon as he entered the house.

Explanation

「Vるなり」 means 'the moment V happens, ...'. As soon as the first act occurs, the same person does the next with no gap, and the second act is often unexpected or abrupt. 「部屋に入るなり、倒れ込んだ」 (He collapsed the moment he entered the room), 「電話を切るなり、飛び出していった」 (As soon as he hung up, he rushed out). Both acts are by the same third person; you cannot use 'I', so not 「私は帰るなりテレビを見た」. A passive ending for something done to the speaker is fine: 「彼に会うなり罵られた」 (He swore at me the moment I saw him). The ending is a past fact, never an intention, command, guess or wish.

Mixed up with

「が早いか」: the second act jumps in just as the first begins; very hurried.

「や否や」: the second follows in the instant the first finishes; more like objective reporting.

「なり」: the same third person does something, often unexpected, right after the first act.

「そばから」: the same bad cycle repeats, like forgetting as fast as you learn.

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

Examples

ママ友ともが私わたしの家いえに入はいるなり、冷蔵庫れいぞうこの中なかを物色ぶっしょくし始はじめた。
As soon as my mom-friend came into my house, she started to go through my refrigerator.
彼かれは机つくえに座すわるなりすぐスマホをいじり始はじめたから注意ちゅういした。
I warned him because he started playing on his phone as soon as he sat down.
父ちちは出張しゅっちょうから帰かえるなり、ソファーに倒たおれ込こんだ。
The moment my father got back from his business trip, he collapsed onto the sofa.
彼女かのじょはジョークを聞きくなり笑わらい出だしてしまった。
As soon as she heard the joke, she burst out laughing.
うちの奥おくさんは毎日まいにち起おきるなりスマホで電子でんしメールを見みている。
As soon as my wife wakes up, she checks mail on her smartphone.
踊おどりを止やめるなり、彼女かのじょが急きゅうにキスしてくれたんだ。気持きもちいい。
As soon as she stopped dancing, she suddenly kissed me. I feel great.
実家じっかのお母かあさんからの電報でんぽうを読よむなり、山田やまださんは青あおざめた。
The moment Yamada read the telegram from his mother back home, he turned pale.
彼かれは故郷ふるさとに帰かえるなり、灰燼かいじんに帰きした家いえを見みて言葉ことばを失うしなった。
The moment he returned to his hometown, he saw his house reduced to ashes and was lost for words.
自宅じたくに訪問ほうもんしてきた男性だんせいが指名しめい手配てはい犯はんだと気きづくなり、妻つまは警察けいさつへ通報つうほうした。
As soon as my wife realized that the man who came to visit our house was a wanted criminal, she reported it to the police.
教授きょうじゅは教室きょうしつに入はいるなり、直すぐに授業じゅぎょうの本題ほんだいへ入はいりました。
The moment the professor entered the classroom, he went straight into the main topic of the lesson.
以前いぜん会あった時ときに彼かれに失礼しつれいな事ことを言いったのは確たしかだが、彼かれに会あうなり罵ののしられるとは…。
When I met him previously, it is indeed true that I said something rude, but to think that he would hurl abuse at me the moment he saw me…
普段ふだんは深夜しんやにお風呂ふろに入はいる夫おっとが家いえに着つくなり急いそいでお風呂ふろに入はいったのを見みて妻つまは首くびを傾かしげた。
When seeing her husband, who usually has a shower in the middle of the night, enter the shower hurriedly upon arriving home, the wife became quite puzzled.
夕食ゆうしょくを食たべ終おわるなり自室じしつへ篭こもってしまった息子むすこを見みて、息子むすこがストレスを抱かかえている事ことに気きづきました。
When they saw their son shut himself in his room the moment he finished eating dinner, they realized that he was harboring some stress.
姉あねは宿やどから出でるなり、雨あめに降ふられた。
The moment my sister stepped out of the inn, she got caught in the rain.

なり

Explanation

Mixed up with

Examples

Tested 3 times in past papers