仲間
なかまが裏切
うらぎらないうちに、口
くち封
ふうじをしておいた。
I silenced him before he had a chance to grass on us.

Right then, うちに is all about doing something before a situation changes. It’s got two main flavours. The first one is like, “while you still can,” or “before it’s too late.” You’ve got a window of opportunity, and if you don’t act sharp, that window’s getting slammed shut in your face, ya get me? It’s got that feeling of urgency, like the Old Bill are right around the corner. The second vibe is when something you weren’t expecting starts happening while you’re in the middle of something else. It’s more passive, like something just happens to you, innit.

---

Here’s the lowdown on how you stick this thing together. It’s a piece of cake, really.

Word Type	Rule	Example	English Translation
Verb (Dictionary Form)	Verb + うちに	忘 わすれないうちに	Before I forget
Verb (ている Form)	Verb + ているうちに	話 はなしているうちに	While we were talking
い-Adjective	Adj + うちに	若 わかいうちに	While I’m young
な-Adjective	Adj + なうちに	元気 げんきなうちに	While I’m healthy
Noun	Noun + のうちに	学生 がくせいのうちに	While I’m a student

So, look, for verbs, you either slap うちに on the end of the dictionary form, usually the negative form like 忘れない (wasurenai), to mean “before you forget.” Or, you use the ている (teiru) form when something is ongoing. For your adjectives, it’s dead simple: い-adjectives just get うちに tacked on the end. For な-adjectives, you need that な (na) in there before the うちに. And with nouns, you just need to jam a の (no) in between. Easy peasy.

---

Think of it like this: you’re doing a dodgy deal down a back alley. うちに is that moment when you see the flashing blue lights in the distance. You’ve got that small window of time – that is the うちに – to finish the deal, grab the readies, and scarper before the coppers show up and nick you. If you hang about, you’re nicked. It’s that limited timeframe to get something sorted. That’s the essence of it, fam.

---

Alright, listen up, you wanna know the real deal, yeah? Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of these words. Proper street knowledge, this is.

巻き込まれる (まきこまれる)

English: Get dragged into; get caught up in.

Right, so picture this: you’re just mindin’ your own business, yeah? Maybe sortin’ a little deal, keepin’ your head down. Then, all of a sudden, you’re in the middle of some proper beef that’s got nothin’ to do with you. One of your mates has messed up with the wrong firm, and now their trouble is your trouble. You’ve been dragged in. The feds are swarmin’ the place, or another crew is rollin’ up lookin’ for payback. You didn’t start it, but you’re in the thick of it now, and you’ve gotta pick a side or get flattened. It’s a sticky one, a proper nightmare.

---

陰謀 (いんぼう)

English: Conspiracy; a plot.

This is when things get deep, you get me? It ain’t just a random punch-up or a little smash-and-grab. Nah, an inbou is a proper thought-out scheme. It’s the top boys in a smoke-filled room, whisperin’ about takin’ over a rival’s turf, fittin’ someone up, or plannin’ a massive heist. It’s all secret handshakes and moves behind the scenes. Think of it like a chess game where the pieces are people’s lives. One minute you think you know who’s in charge, the next, you find out you’ve been a pawn in their little game all along. It’s all about the long game, the master plan.

---

突きつけられる (つきつけられる)

English: To be confronted with; to have something shoved in your face.

This is that moment of truth, innit? There’s no escapin’ it. You’ve been cornered, and the evidence, the burner phone, the whole stash, it’s right there on the table. The guv’nor is lookin’ you dead in the eye, layin’ it all out. Or maybe you’re in a standoff, and you’ve got a shank or a shooter shoved in your face. It’s that point of no return. The options are laid bare, and you’ve got to make a choice, right then and there. There’s no talkin’ your way out of it; you’ve been confronted with the cold, hard facts, and it’s on you now.

---

恐怖 (きょうふ)

English: Fear; terror.

This ain’t just bein’ a bit jumpy, bruv. This is that proper, gut-wrenchin’ fear. It’s the feelin’ you get when you hear the sirens gettin’ closer and you know you ain’t fast enough. It’s seein’ a rival you thought you’d put down years ago walk into your local boozer, lookin’ right at you. It’s that cold sweat when you realise you’ve been double-crossed. On the streets, fear is a tool. You use it to control your turf, to keep people in line. But when it’s your turn to feel it, it’ll paralyse you, make you do stupid things. It’s a proper weapon, more dangerous than any blade.

---

潰す (つぶす)

English: To crush; to smash; to wipe out.

Simple and brutal, this is. When you tsubusu somethin’, you ain’t just beatin’ it, you’re destroyin’ it completely. We’re talkin’ about another crew tryin’ to move in on your territory; you don’t just scare ’em off, you crush their whole operation. You take their supply, their contacts, their reputation, and you grind it into the dirt until there’s nothin’ left. It’s about sendin’ a message. You can also crush a person, break their spirit so they never think about crossin’ you again. It’s final, you get me? Total annihilation. Game over.

---

Alright, check these out. Don’t just read ’em, learn ’em.

知
しらないうちに、俺
おれは巨大
きょだいな陰謀
いんぼうに巻
まこき込
まれていた。
Without even realizing it, I’d gotten tangled up in a massive conspiracy.

銃
じゅうを突
つきつけられているうちに、恐怖
きょうふで何
なにも考
かんがえられなくなった。
While the gun was pointed at me, I was too terrified to think straight.

組織
そしきがまだ小
ちいさいうちに、ライバルを潰
つぶしておくべきだった。
We should have crushed our rivals while their organization was still small.

気
きづかれないうちに、金庫
きんこから金
きんを盗
ぬすみ出
だした。
I nicked the cash from the safe before anyone noticed.

目撃者
もくげきしゃがいないうちに、この場
ばを去
さるぞ。
We’re leaving this spot before any witnesses turn up.

警察
けいさつが来
こないうちに、証拠
しょうこを全部
ぜんぶ隠滅
いんめつしろ。
Destroy all the evidence before the Feds show up.

雨
あめが降
ふらないうちに、家
いえに帰
かえった方
ほうがいい。
It’s probably best to get back to the gaff before it starts raining.

忘
わすれないうちに、あいつの電話
でんわ番号
ばんごうをメモしておこう。
I’d better jot down his number before I forget it.

冷静
れいせいなうちに、この問題
もんだいを解決
かいけつしよう。
Let’s sort this mess out while we’re still calm, yeah?

アイツが寝
ねているうちに、財布
さいふをすり替
かえよう。
While that geezer is sleeping, let’s swap his wallet.

---

Alright, that’s your lot for today. Get that in your nut. Practice it, use it, and don’t make a dog’s dinner of it.