Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
‘Aida’ (間) means ‘while’ or ‘during’ a certain period. It indicates that a state or action continues throughout the entire duration of another action or state.
🎯 Primary Function
To express that a state or action lasts for the entire duration of a specified time frame.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (Plain/Continuous form) + 間 / Noun + の + 間
い-Adjective + 間 (e.g., 若い間)
な-Adjective + な + 間 (e.g., 暇な間)
Verb (ない-form) + 間 (e.g., 食べない間)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in speeches, reports, or formal explanations to define durations.
Informal Situations
Commonly used in daily conversation to talk about what someone did during a break, vacation, or while waiting.
Written Language
Used in journals, stories, and news reports to set a timeframe.
Spoken Language
Very common in both casual and polite speech.
💡 Common Applications
Continuous States
Used to describe actions that took place during a specific life stage or state.
Example: 独身の間、自由に旅行しました。
Simultaneous Continuous Actions
Expressing that one continuous action happened at the same time as another continuous action.
Example: 母が寝ている間、ずっとテレビを見ていた。
Frequency
High
Difficulty
JLPT N4
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
夏休みの間、ずっと祖父母の家にいました。
Furigana: なつやすみのあいだ、ずっとそふぼのいえにいました。
Romaji: Natsuyasumi no aida, zutto sofubo no ie ni imashita.
English: I stayed at my grandparents’ house throughout the summer vacation.
Example #2
彼が料理を作っている間、私は掃除をしました。
Furigana: かれがりょうりをつくっているあいだ、わたしはそうじをしました。
Romaji: Kare ga ryouri o tsukutte iru aida, watashi wa souji o shimashita.
English: I did the cleaning while he was cooking.
Example #3
子供が寝ている間、本を読みました。
Furigana: こどもがねているあいだ、ほんをよみました。
Romaji: Kodomo ga nete iru aida, hon o yomimashita.
English: I read a book while the child was sleeping.
Example #4
会議の間、携帯電話を使わないでください。
Furigana: かいぎのあいだ、けいたいでんわをつかわないでください。
Romaji: Kaigi no aida, keitai denwa o tsukawanaide kudasai.
English: Please do not use your mobile phone during the meeting.
Example #5
電車に乗っている間、ずっと音楽を聞いていました。
Furigana: でんしゃにのっているあいだ、ずっとおんがくをきいていました。
Romaji: Densha ni notte iru aida, zutto ongaku o kiite imashita.
English: I was listening to music the whole time I was on the train.
Example #6
日本にいる間、日本語だけで話しました。
Furigana: にほんにつきるあいだ、にほんごだけではなしました。
Romaji: Nihon ni iru aida, nihongo dake de hanashimashita.
English: While I was in Japan, I spoke only in Japanese.
Example #7
雨が降っている間、外に出られませんでした。
Furigana: あめがふっているあいだ、そとにでられませんでした。
Romaji: Ame ga futte iru aida, soto ni deraremasen deshita.
English: I couldn’t go outside while it was raining.
Example #8
旅行の間、ずっと天気が良かったです。
Furigana: りょこうのあいだ、ずっとてんきがよかったです。
Romaji: Ryokou no aida, zutto tenki ga yokatta desu.
English: The weather was good the entire time during the trip.
Example #9
学校が休みの間、アルバイトをしていました。
Furigana: がっこうがやすみのあいだ、アルバイトをしていました。
Romaji: Gakkou ga yasumi no aida, arubaito o shite imashita.
English: I was working part-time while school was on break.
Example #10
待ち合わせを待っている間、友達とチャットしていました。
Furigana: まちあわせをまっているあいだ、ともだちとチャットしていました。
Romaji: Machiawase o matte iru aida, tomodachi to chatto shite imashita.
English: While waiting for the appointment, I was chatting with a friend.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
The ‘Whole Duration’ Rule
If the action in the second clause does not last the whole time, you must use 間 (aida) + に (ni).
Example: 留守の間、泥棒に入られた。 (Incorrect use of Aida, should be Aida ni)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 日本にいる間、富士山に登りたい。 (incorrect for a one-time event)
✅ 日本にいる間に、富士山に登りたい。 (Use ‘aida ni’ for one-time actions)
‘Aida’ is for continuous actions throughout the period. If the action happens just once or for a short part of that period, you must use ‘Aida ni’.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral/Standard. Can be used in both desu/masu and dictionary forms.
Social Situations: Appropriate for describing work shifts, vacations, or periods of study.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
間 (Aida) vs. 間に (Aida ni)
‘Aida’ implies the entire duration. ‘Aida ni’ implies a specific point within that duration.
When to use: Use ‘Aida’ for continuous states. Use ‘Aida ni’ for sudden or singular events.
間 (Aida) vs. ながら (Nagara)
‘Nagara’ focuses on one person doing two things simultaneously. ‘Aida’ focuses on the time period, often involving two different subjects.
When to use: Use ‘Nagara’ for multitasking. Use ‘Aida’ for time durations.
📝 Conjugation Notes
When used with verbs, it most commonly follows the ~te iru (continuous) form. When used with nouns, the particle ‘no’ is mandatory.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced as ‘ah-ee-dah’. Ensure the ‘i’ and ‘da’ are distinct.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘Aida’ as a ‘block of time’. If your second action fills that entire block, use ‘Aida’. If it’s just a dot inside the block, use ‘Aida ni’.
Other Grammar
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