たちまち | Grammar

Structure

たちまち + [verb]

Description

たちまち means "in no time", "in an instant": a change happened, or spread, much faster than you would expect. It goes in front of the verb, and the sentence is almost always about something that has already happened.

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The sky went dark in an instant.

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The new cake sold out in no time.

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The news spread through the whole town in no time.

The verb is usually one of change or spreading: なる, ひろまる広まる, うりきれる売り切れる, あつまる集まる. A first event often sets it off, joined with と or たら.

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I took the medicine, and my fever went down in no time.

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The novel became a bestseller the moment it came out.

たちまち or すぐに

is "right away", and it works for anything, including plans and requests. たちまち describes what happened on its own, so it cannot go with something you intend or ask for.

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I'll go right away.

× たちまち来てください → すぐに来てください

たちまち sounds written; in conversation the same idea is あっというまにあっという間に.

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The summer holidays were over in no time.

Examples

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After taking the medicine, my fever went down in no time.

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The rumor spread throughout the class in an instant.

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The new product became popular in no time.

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Once it started raining, the roads were flooded in a flash.

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As soon as she started singing, a crowd gathered in no time.

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The strong wind scattered the cherry blossoms in an instant.

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The restaurant filled up in no time after opening.

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His joke lightened the mood of the room in an instant.

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The children devoured all the sweets in no time.

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The sun set in a flash, and the surroundings became pitch dark.

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Thanks to the internet, information spreads across the world in an instant.

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The novel became a bestseller as soon as it was published.

References

たちまちBunpro