たとたん

as soon as, just after

The phrase 'たとたん' indicates an action that occurs immediately after another action has taken place, often with a sense of surprise or unexpectedness.

N3

Meaning

as soon as, just after

The phrase 'たとたん' indicates an action that occurs immediately after another action has taken place, often with a sense of surprise or unexpectedness.

Formation

Verb (past tense) + たとたん

Explanation

たとたん is a Japanese grammar point that expresses the idea of something happening immediately after a specific event or action. It often conveys an unexpected outcome or reaction following the action in the past tense.

This structure is created by taking the past tense form of a verb and adding たとたん to it. It can be used in various contexts where a cause and effect relationship exists, emphasizing the immediacy of the subsequent action.

For example, if someone observes an event and something surprising occurs immediately after, たとたん can aptly express this.

  • The use of たとたん is typically reserved for casual conversation and storytelling, where the impact of rapid changes can be effectively conveyed.
  • It is important to note that the past tense of the verb must be used before たとたん.