N123/187
なり
Verb (ます-stem) + なりNoun + なりな-adjective (stem) + なりplain form + なり (sentence-final, classical/literary)
Meanings
- As soon as
- The moment
- When
About this pattern
Explanation
なり is a classical Japanese auxiliary or sentence-ending particle used in literary or formal writing to express that something occurs immediately after or at the moment of another action. It is not common in everyday modern Japanese, but it appears in classical prose, historical texts, and some stylized modern writing. The core nuance is immediacy: the following event happens right as another event happens or a state is reached. In many contexts, the construction follows a verb in the 連用形 (continuative form) or attaches to a noun/adjective stem to indicate the ensuing moment.