connective N4 essential casualpolitewritten
〜あとで — after ~
〜あとで ・ あとで
Builds on た形
Meaning
- after ~ — the second action happens once the first is complete
Key sentence
ごはんを食べたあとで、歯を磨く。
After eating, I brush my teeth.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (た-form) | V-た + あとで | 見る → 見たあとで |
| Noun | Noun + の + あとで | 食事 → 食事のあとで |
Examples
仕事が終わったあとで、飲みに行った。
After work finished, we went for a drink.
授業のあとで図書館に寄る。
After class I'll stop by the library.
よく考えたあとで返事します。
I'll reply after thinking it over carefully.
When you can't use it
- The verb before あとで is always in the past (た) form, even when the whole sentence is about the future: 帰ったあとで電話する (I'll call after I get home) — not 帰るあとで.
Easily confused with
See 〜あとで in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜あとで the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.