Japanese word

間際

Pronunciation

Romajimagiwa

Meaning

  • nounjust before

Example

試験の間際に勉強しました。shi ken no ma giwa ni ben kyō shi ma shi ta

I studied just before the exam.

Illustration for 間際 (just before)

More examples

出発の間際になって、急に雨が降り始めました。shup patsu no ma giwa ni na tte kyū ni ame ga fu ri haji me ma shi ta

Just before departure, it suddenly began to rain.

Core concept

Describes the narrow stretch of time at the boundary before an event begins.

Common phrases

  • 試験の間際shi ken no ma giwa

    just before the exam

  • 締め切りの間際shi me ki ri no ma giwa

    just before the deadline

  • 出発の間際shup patsu no ma giwa

    just before departure

Similar words

直前chokuzen: The time immediately before an event or action.
寸前sunzen: The point just before something happens or is reached.
土壇場dotanba: The final moment when a decision or outcome can no longer be delayed.
間近majika: A time very close to an event, without necessarily being the final moment before it begins.

Definition in Japanese

出来事が始まる直前の時点。de ki goto ga haji ma ru choku zen no ji ten

Word origin

間 (ma, "interval" or "time") combines with 際 (kiwa, "edge") to express the edge of the time before an event; the compound uses the voiced form giwa.

Usage tips

  • Although "eve" can mean the day before in English, 間際 (magiwa) focuses on the final time before an event, not necessarily the whole preceding day.

Other meanings

  • last momentnoun
  • evenoun

Word lists with this word