あいだに (aida ni)

Related patterns8

Similar

うちに
あいだに names a plain interval with clear edges (留守るすのあいだに). うちに warns the chance is closing (降ふらないうちに).
ながら
ながら keeps one person doing two things at once. あいだに opens a stretch where even a different person can act.
にわたって
間あいだに marks one moment somewhere inside a time window (休やすみの間あいだに本ほんを読よんだ). にわたって says the action fills the whole span (三日間みっかかんにわたって会議かいぎが行おこなわれた).
最中さいちゅうに
あいだに places the event somewhere inside a plain interval (会議かいぎのあいだに). 最中さいちゅうに says it strikes while the activity is at its peak (会議かいぎの最中さいちゅうに).
途中とちゅうで
あいだに looks at the interval from outside, letting someone else act inside it (留守るすのあいだに). 途中とちゅうで instead stays inside your own action, marking where it broke off.
とき
とき points at an occasion, whether instant or ongoing (着ついたとき works fine). あいだに instead needs an ongoing stretch, with the event strictly inside.
ところに
あいだに puts the main event anywhere inside a stretch, whatever it is (バスを待まっているあいだに考かんがえた). ところに instead pins it to one instant, needing an outside disruption.

Lookalikes

あいだ
あいだに drops one event somewhere inside the stretch (寝ねているあいだに電話でんわが来きた). あいだ needs something that lasts the whole way through (寝ねているあいだ、ずっと雨あめだった).

Same meaning6

while doing

All examples9

during — lands once inside the interval, often behind the holder's back

私わたしが寝ねてるあいだに、誰だれかケーキ食たべたでしょ。
watashi ga neteru aida ni, dareka keeki tabeta desho.
Somebody ate the cake while I was asleep, didn't they? casual
バスを待まっているあいだに、いいアイデアを思おもいついた。
basu o matte iru aida ni, ii aidea o omoitsuita.
I came up with a good idea while waiting for the bus. neutral
映画えいがを見みているあいだに、寝ねてしまった。
eiga o mite iru aida ni, nete shimatta.
I fell asleep while watching the movie. neutral
会議かいぎのあいだに、大おおきな地震じしんがあった。
kaigi no aida ni, ookina jishin ga atta.
There was a big earthquake during the meeting. neutral
会議かいぎのあいだに、取引先とりひきさきから電話でんわが来きた。
kaigi no aida ni, torihikisaki kara denwa ga kita.
A call came in from a client during the meeting. neutral
仕事しごとに慣なれないあいだに、大おおきな失敗しっぱいをしてしまった。
shigoto ni narenai aida ni, ookina shippai o shite shimatta.
I made a big blunder while not getting used to the job. neutral
母ははがいないあいだに、部屋へやを片付かたづけておいた。
haha ga inai aida ni, heya o katazukete oita.
I got the room tidied while my mother was out. neutral
留守るすのあいだに、荷物にもつが届とどいていた。
rusu no aida ni, nimotsu ga todoite ita.
A package had arrived while I was out. neutral
ご滞在たいざいのあいだに、ぜひ一度いちどお立たち寄よりください。
go taizai no aida ni, zehi ichido otachiyori kudasai.
Please do drop by at some point during your stay. formal

How it's formed3

All forms1

ている間あいだにteiruaidanialternant
味あじわっている間あいだに
the kanji spelling, which is what print and textbooks use; kana is common in casual writing and neither changes the meaning.

Notes

に marks that the main event lands once, inside the interval. Drop
に and the sentence must fill the whole span instead
(寝ねているあいだ、ずっと雨あめだった).