As soon as… then… (一…便)

Structure 一 + action 1 + 便 + action 2

一…便… (yī… biàn…) links two near-simultaneous events: «as soon as A (happens), B (right after)». It is the formal, written variant of 一…就… (HSK 3, id hsk3-yi-jiu): same meaning and structure, but with 便 instead of 就. 便 belongs to journalism, essays and literary narration; 就 is the neutral, everyday register. The link is still one of immediacy: the second action occurs the moment the first is complete.

Examples

他tā一yī进jìn门mén便biàn察chá觉jué了le异yì样yàng。
The moment he stepped through the door, he sensed something was off.
消xiāo息xī一yī传chuán出chū，便biàn引yǐn起qǐ了le轩xuān然rán大dà波bō。
As soon as the news got out, it caused a great uproar.
会huì议yì一yī结jié束shù，他tā便biàn匆cōng匆cōng离lí去qù。
As soon as the meeting ended, he hurried off.
天tiān一yī亮liàng，村cūn民mín便biàn纷fēn纷fēn下xià地dì劳láo作zuò。
As soon as day broke, the villagers went down one after another to work the fields.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.

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