JLPT N4 grammar
〜間に (with に) — Meaning & Examples
"At some point during." A one-off event inside the window: 寝ている間に買い物に行った = I went shopping while the baby slept.
〜間 and 〜間に — "While"
間（あいだ） means "the interval." The presence or absence of に changes everything.
〜間 (no に) = the whole time, continuously. Both actions last the same stretch.
赤ちゃんが寝ている間、本を読んでいました。
= While the baby was sleeping, I was reading. (the entire time)
日本にいる間、毎日日本語を話しました。
= While I was in Japan, I spoke Japanese every day.
〜間に (with に) = at some point during. A one-off event inside the interval.
赤ちゃんが寝ている間に、買い物に行きました。
= While the baby was asleep, I went shopping. (at some point in there)
留守の間に、荷物が届きました。
= While I was out, a parcel arrived.
The rule of thumb:
Continuous verb after it → no に (読んでいました, 話しました every day)
One-shot verb after it → に (行きました, 届きました)
Formation: 〜ている / plain form / noun + の + 間(に)
夏休みの間に、旅行しました。 = During summer holiday, I travelled.
Practice questions
Try these 2 questions on 〜間に (with に). Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 赤ちゃんが寝ている間に、買い物に行きました。The に is there because?
- The shopping lasted the whole nap
- It is always required with 間
- The shopping happened at one point during the nap
- The baby went shopping
Show answer
Answer: The shopping happened at one point during the nap
間に = a one-off event at some point inside the interval. Without に, both actions would span the whole time.
2. The difference between 間に and うちに is?
- 間に is formal, うちに is casual
- 間に states timing neutrally; うちに adds "take your chance before it changes"
- They are identical
- うちに only works with verbs
Show answer
Answer: 間に states timing neutrally; うちに adds "take your chance before it changes"
間に is a neutral time window. うちに carries urgency — the window is closing, so act now.
Practise 〜間に (with に) in the free app
This point is part of the “⏱️ Timing — 〜ところだ・〜間に・〜うちに” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N4 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
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Related N4 grammar points
From the same lesson: ⏱️ Timing — 〜ところだ・〜間に・〜うちに
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜間に (with に) mean?
"At some point during." A one-off event inside the window: 寝ている間に買い物に行った = I went shopping while the baby slept.
Is 〜間に (with に) on the JLPT N4 test?
〜間に (with に) is taught in the JLPT N4 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “⏱️ Timing — 〜ところだ・〜間に・〜うちに”), 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 〜間に (with に)?
Open the “⏱️ Timing — 〜ところだ・〜間に・〜うちに” 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 N4 mock exams, with no ads.