〜かと思うと
Formation
Meaning
Indicates that almost immediately after one event occurs, another event happens. It often carries a nuance of surprise or unexpectedness.
Note
Indicates two events occurring in rapid succession. It conveys the speaker's surprise at how quickly the second event happened or how different it was from the first. It cannot be used to describe the speaker's own intentional actions. Compare with '〜かと思いきや', which emphasizes the contrast with expectation, and '〜とたん', which focuses on the suddenness of the second action.
Examples
空が急に暗くなったかと思うと、激しい雨が降り出した。
No sooner had the sky suddenly turned dark than it started raining heavily.
やっとテストが終わったかと思うと、また次の課題が出された。
Just as I thought the test was finally over, another assignment was given.
赤ちゃんが泣き止んだかと思うと、またすぐに泣き出した。
No sooner had the baby stopped crying than they started crying again.
さっきまで笑っていたかと思ったら、急に泣き出した。
They were laughing until a moment ago, but then they suddenly started crying.
冬が来たかと思ったら、今日は春のように暖かい。
Just when I thought winter had arrived, today is warm like spring.
仕事が終わったかと思ったら、上司に新しい仕事を頼まれた。
No sooner had I finished my work than my boss asked me to do something new.