たちまち
たちまち
adverb
instantly; in no time; at once
1.
instantly; in no time; at once
Describes something happening very quickly or immediately, often with a sense of surprising speed.
たちまち人気が出た。
It became popular in no time.
空がたちまち暗くなった。
The sky suddenly turned dark.
噂はたちまち町中に広まった。
The rumor spread throughout the town in no time.
新しい店は開店するとたちまち行列ができた。
As soon as the new store opened, a line instantly formed.
雨が降り出すと、公園にいた人たちはたちまちいなくなった。
When it started to rain, the people in the park disappeared in no time.
KANJI:
Can be written as 忽ち, though hiragana is more common.
USAGE:
たちまち emphasizes the surprising speed at which something happens. It often describes changes, spread of information, or completion of actions that occur faster than expected.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- たちまち〜になる (to instantly become ~)
- たちまち広まる (to spread in no time)
- たちまちのうちに (in the blink of an eye)
REGISTER:
Neutral to slightly literary. Used in both spoken and written Japanese.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- すぐに - immediately (neutral, most common)
- あっという間に - in the blink of an eye
- 瞬く間に - in an instant (literary)
- 即座に - immediately (formal)