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〜うちに

while (still), before (it changes)

Verb / い-adj / Noun の + うちに · Verb ない-form + うちに

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うちに means "while it's still…", doing something before a situation changes: 温かいうちに食べてください, "please eat it while it's hot"; 若いうちに旅行したい, "I want to travel while I'm young".

With a negative it means "before": 雨が降らないうちに帰ろう, "let's go home before it rains" (literally "while it's not raining yet"). 忘れないうちに, "before I forget", is a common one.

Compare 間に, which is simply "during a period". うちに carries a sense of urgency: the chance won't last.

Nouns take の: 学生のうちに, "while you're still a student".

Examples

  • 温あたたかいうちに食たべてください。

    Please eat it while it's hot.

  • 若わかいうちに、いろいろな国くに行にいきたい。

    I want to travel to lots of countries while I'm young.

  • 雨あめが降ふらないうちに、帰かえりましょう。

    Let's go home before it starts raining.

  • 忘わすれないうちに、メモしておきます。

    I'll write it down before I forget.

  • 明あかるいうちに、駅えきに着つきたい。

    I want to get to the station while it's still light.

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