直ちに | Grammar

Structure

直ちに + [verb]

[sentence]、直ちに + [sentence]

Standalone formal adverb; placed before the verb or at the beginning of a clause.

Description

直ちに (ただちに) is a formal adverb meaning "immediately," "at once," or "right away." It emphasizes that an action takes place without any delay or hesitation. It is commonly found in formal speech, official announcements, news reports, and written language.

Immediate action

The most common use of ただちに直ちに is to indicate that something happens or should happen without delay.

、。

If an earthquake occurs, please evacuate immediately.

、。

The problem was discovered, and an investigation began at once.

直ちに vs. すぐに

Both ただちに直ちに and すぐに mean "immediately," but ただちに直ちに is significantly more formal and conveys a stronger sense of urgency. すぐに is the natural choice in everyday conversation, while ただちに直ちに is preferred in official contexts, instructions, and written language.

。

Please come right away. (casual/neutral)

。

Please come to the scene immediately. (formal/urgent)

"Not necessarily" – 直ちに～とは限らない / 直ちに～わけではない

A special usage of ただちに直ちに is in the pattern 直ちに～とは限らない or 直ちに～わけではない, meaning "it does not necessarily mean that…" or "it does not automatically mean…" Here, ただちに直ちに carries the nuance of "directly" or "automatically."

、。

Just because something is expensive doesn't necessarily mean the quality is good.

、。

Just because something doesn't violate the law doesn't automatically make it right.

Examples

、。

If a fire breaks out, please leave the building immediately.

。

The president canceled the meeting at once.

。

That medicine takes effect immediately.

、。

The police received the report and headed to the scene immediately.

。

We need to deal with this problem right away.

、よう。

Due to heavy rain, instructions were issued to evacuate at once.

、。

Just because you made an effort doesn't automatically mean you'll get results.

、。

It's a dangerous condition, so we will perform surgery immediately.

、。

Upon receiving the customer's complaint, we immediately considered improvement measures.

、。

Just because someone is famous doesn't necessarily mean they can be trusted.

References

直ちにBunpro