while; before (a state changes)

うちに marks a window of time to act before a situation changes. Attach it to a plain-form verb (especially ている or negative ない), an i-adjective, or a noun with の. ないうちに means before something happens.

Examples

• 温あたたかいうちに、召めし上あがってください。

  Atatakai uchi ni, meshiagatte kudasai.

  Please eat it while it's warm.

• 暗く[くらく]ならないうちに、帰かえりましょう。

  Kuraku naranai uchi ni, kaerimashou.

  Let's go home before it gets dark.

Vocabulary in these examples

• うち home; one's house
• 召し上がる to eat, to drink (honorific)
• くださる to give (honorific)
• 暗い dark
• なる to become
• 帰る to go home; to return

Related patterns · Time and change

• 〜たびに every time; whenever
• 〜まま as it is; leaving (a state unchanged)
• 〜ところだ about to / in the middle of / just did