the moment

the moment — idiom

1. used to say that one thing happens or is done immediately at the same time as an

1.慣用語B1
釋義

used to say that one thing happens or is done immediately at the same time as another thing happens — linking a triggering event to its instant result

例句

The moment Sofia opened the oven door, the delicious smell of baking bread filled the whole kitchen.

the moment + past simple for two simultaneous past events

Jamal knew he was in trouble the moment he saw his mother's face at the school gate.

main clause + the moment + triggering event

同義詞
  • as soon as

    Directly interchangeable; 'the moment' is slightly more dramatic and emphatic

  • the instant

    Even more immediate and precise than 'the moment'

  • when

    More general; does not carry the same sense of instant simultaneity

文法句型

the moment + clause (triggering event)

用法筆記

Frequently used with past simple for completed past actions, or present simple when referring to scheduled future events. The clause after 'the moment' names the triggering event; the main clause describes what happens instantly as a result. Do not add 'when' or 'in' before 'the moment' — it already functions as a conjunction.

常見錯誤

❌The moment when I arrived, she left.
✅The moment I arrived, she left.
💡'the moment' already signals timing; do not add 'when'.
❌I called him in the moment I heard the news.
✅I called him the moment I heard the news.
💡'the moment' is used directly as a conjunction, without 'in'.