While I didn't see you with 〜うちに
Grammar Explanation: During with 〜うちに
Jumbo arrives to help Yotsuba and her father move into their new home.
- よつば:
- 「しばらく見ないうちにまた大きくなった！」
- “You've grown bigger since I last saw you!”
- Literal: “During the time I didn't see you, you've gotten bigger!”
- “You've grown bigger since I last saw you!”
- ジャンボ:
- 「お？どこでおぼえたそのセリフ」
- “Oh? Where'd you pick up that line?”
Key Points
1しばらく見ないうちに means during the time I didn’t see you
- The phrase marks the unseen interval as the time when Jumbo supposedly grew.
- It does not mean Yotsuba watched him grow.
2また大きくなった is a stock grown-up remark
- また means “again”, as if this has happened before.
3Jumbo notices the phrasing
- 「どこでおぼえたそのセリフ」 asks where she learned that line.
- セリフ treats her comment like a borrowed scripted phrase.
Vocabulary
見る (To see)
見る means to see or look at something. It can also mean to examine its condition or nature.
うち (I)
うち can mean “I” or “me”, especially in Kansai speech and in casual speech among women. It also has other meanings, including “home” and “inside”.
See Also
- Grammar: During with 〜うちに
- Future entry: Past tense with 〜た・〜だ
よつばと！ © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.