～てからOnce...is done, Once...happens, After doing

Structure

Verb［て］+ から

Details

Part of Speech
Expression
Word Type
Case Marking Particle
Register
Standard

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)'.

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)は勉強(べんきょう)をするから、遊(あそ)ばない。

I won't hang out tonight, because I will be studying.
牛丼(ぎゅうどん)の大盛(おおもり)を食(た)べたから、お腹(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)
晩(ばん)ご飯(はん)を食(た)べてから、洗(あら)い物(もの)をする。

After I eat, I will do the dishes.

Synonyms

Examples

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日本語(にほんご)の勉強(べんきょう)をしてから、日本(にほん)に行(い)きます。

Once I study Japanese, I will go to Japan.

日本(にほん)に行(い)ってから、日本語(にほんご)の勉強(べんきょう)をします。

After going to Japan, I will study Japanese.

この本(ほん)を読(よ)んでから、返(かえ)す。

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

暇(ひま)になってから、ゆっくり旅行(りょこう)に行(い)きたい。

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

雪(ゆき)が降(ふ)ってから、スキーに行(い)く。

Once it snows, I will go skiing.

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Online
- 「てから」
  GuidetoLearnJapanese
- Brief note of て-form with 「から」
  Tae Kim
- てから vs. たら
  HiNative

Offline
- Genki II 1st Edition
  Page 101
- みんなの日本語 I
  Page 104 [CH 16]
- Genki II 2nd Edition
  Page 127
- Marugoto Elementary 2 (A2) Rikai
  Page 49
- [DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
  Page 177
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てから – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (12 in total)

Camsy
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
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
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.