Grammar Info

N5 Lesson 7: 6/13

~てから

Once...is done, Once...happens, After doing

Structure Legend

Structure

Verb[て]+ から

Details

  • Part of Speech

    Expression

  • Word Type

    Case Marking Particle

  • Register

    Standard

  • 品詞

    表現

  • 単語の種類

    格助詞

  • 使用域

    一般

About てから

In order to specifically express that one thing happens/begins to happen after another thing, てから will be used. This expression is regularly translated as 'once (A) happens, (B)', or 'after doing (A), (B)'.
  • おやつ()てから勉強(べんきょう)(はじ)
    I will start studying once I eat some snacks.
  • 洗濯(せんたく)てから()かけ
    After doing the laundry, I will go out.
The difference between てから, and the regular て form followed by another verb, is that てから puts more emphasis on the (A) action 'enabling' the (B) action.
Caution
から can come after almost any form of verb. てから is the only form that translates as 'after (A), (B)'. たから, and るから will translate closer to 'because', or 'since'.
  • 今夜(こんや)勉強(べんきょう)するから(あそ)ばない
    I won't hang out tonight, because I will be studying.
  • 牛丼(ぎゅうどん)大盛(おおもり)()から、お(なか)いっぱい。
    I am full because I ate a large serving of gyudon. (After having eaten a large serving of gyudon)
  • (ばん)(はん)()てから(あら)(もの)する
    After I eat, I will do the dishes.

Examples

  • 日本語(にほんご)勉強(べんきょう)てから日本(にほん)()きます

    Once I study Japanese, I will go to Japan.

  • 日本(にほん)()てから日本語(にほんご)勉強(べんきょう)します

    After going to Japan, I will study Japanese.

  • この(ほん)()でから(かえ)

    Once I've read this book, I will return it.

  • (ひま)になってからゆっくり旅行(りょこう)()きたい

    After becoming free, I want to take a nice, long trip.

    This 'free' means in the sense of having free time.

  • (ゆき)()てからスキー()

    Once it snows, I will go skiing.

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    • Genki II 1st Edition

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    • みんなの日本語 I

      Page 104 [CH 16]

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      Page 127

    • Marugoto Elementary 2 (A2) Rikai

      Page 49

    • [DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar

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てから – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (12 in total)

  • Camsy

    Camsy

    About 2 years ago

    I keep getting this point mixed up with Verb[て] + B. So frustrating putting in an answer and getting the snarky “Can you add something to the end of this?”.

  • Fvfelipe

    Fvfelipe

    About 6 months ago

    Question about this sentence:
    涼すずしくなってから、スポーツをしたい

    Why is it 涼すずしくなって… and not 涼すずしくって…? In other words, why is there a な in this i-adjective?

  • nekoyama

    nekoyama

    About 6 months ago

    涼しくなる → to become 涼しい

    This grammar point doesn’t really work with adjectives since it expresses a chronological sequence. But with なる it works.

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