JLPT N2 grammar
〜かと思うと／かと思ったら — Meaning & Examples
No sooner X than Y — often a rapid change or contrast (crying→laughing). Subject is usually third person, not "I". 泣いていたかと思うと、もう笑っている.
〜かと思うと／かと思ったら — No Sooner Than
〜かと思うと／〜かと思ったら = "no sooner had X happened than Y" / "just when I thought X, Y." It often sets up a contrast or a surprise — Y is unexpected, or even the opposite of what X suggested.
Formation: verb-plain (usually past た) + かと思うと／かと思ったら
さっきまで泣いていたかと思うと、もう笑っている。
= One moment she was crying, and the next she's already laughing.
空が暗くなったかと思ったら、大粒の雨が降ってきた。
= No sooner had the sky gone dark than big drops of rain started falling.
子供は家に帰ってきたかと思うと、すぐにまた遊びに出て行った。
= The child came home, and then immediately went straight back out to play.
Its signature use is rapid change / reversal: X and Y are close in time AND often contrasting in nature (crying → laughing, arrived → left again).
Restriction: because it reports the speaker's observation of someone/something else, the subject is usually third person, not "I." You wouldn't say 私は帰ってきたかと思うと出て行った about your own deliberate actions.
かと思うと vs かと思ったら: nearly interchangeable here; かと思ったら leans slightly more spoken.
Practice questions
Try these 3 questions on 〜かと思うと／かと思ったら. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. さっきまで泣いていたかと思うと、もう笑っている conveys?
- She cried for a long time
- A rapid change/reversal — crying one moment, laughing the next
- She will cry and then laugh
- She never cried
Show answer
Answer: A rapid change/reversal — crying one moment, laughing the next
〜かと思うと often sets up a contrast or rapid reversal, observed in a third person.
2. 〜かと思うと usually takes which subject?
- First person (I)
- Third person — the speaker observing someone/something else
- Only inanimate subjects
- Second person (you)
Show answer
Answer: Third person — the speaker observing someone/something else
It reports the speaker's observation of another person or thing, so 私 doing deliberate actions is unnatural with かと思うと.
3. What do all four patterns in this lesson have in common?
- They all describe future plans
- Real past events, no plans, no requests/commands in the main clause
- They all require the て form
- They are all casual-only
Show answer
Answer: Real past events, no plans, no requests/commands in the main clause
たとたん・かと思うと・か〜ないかのうちに・やいなや all describe things that actually happened, and none can be followed by a plan, request, or command.
Practise 〜かと思うと／かと思ったら in the free app
This point is part of the “⚡ Sudden Sequence — たとたん・かと思うと・か〜ないかのうちに・やいなや” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N2 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N2 grammar points
From the same lesson: ⚡ Sudden Sequence — たとたん・かと思うと・か〜ないかのうちに・やいなや
- 〜たとたん（に）The instant X happened, (unexpectedly) Y — verb-た + とたん.
- 〜か〜ないかのうちにX had barely happened / wasn't even finished when Y — dict-form + か + ない-form + かのうちに.
- 〜やいなやThe very moment X, Y — literary/written register, same meaning as たとたん.
- たとたん vs 次第次第 = as soon as (planned, formal, the next clause is a future plan).
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜かと思うと／かと思ったら mean?
No sooner X than Y — often a rapid change or contrast (crying→laughing). Subject is usually third person, not "I". 泣いていたかと思うと、もう笑っている.
Is 〜かと思うと／かと思ったら on the JLPT N2 test?
〜かと思うと／かと思ったら is taught in the JLPT N2 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “⚡ Sudden Sequence — たとたん・かと思うと・か〜ないかのうちに・やいなや”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise 〜かと思うと／かと思ったら?
Open the “⚡ Sudden Sequence — たとたん・かと思うと・か〜ないかのうちに・やいなや” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N2 mock exams, with no ads.