Grammar Info

N5 Lesson 7: 6/13

~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)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)してから日本(にほん)()きます

    Once I study Japanese, I will go to Japan.

    日本(にほん)()ってから日本語(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)()んでから(かえ)

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

    (ひま)なってから、ゆっくり旅行(りょこう)()たい

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

    (ゆき)()ってから、スキーに()

    Once it snows, I will go skiing.

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      てから – Grammar Discussion

      Most Recent Replies (12 in total)

      • Camsy

        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

        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

        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.

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