connective N5 essential casualpolitewritten
てから — after ~ing
てから
Builds on て形
Meaning
- after ~ing — do the second action only once the first is finished
Key sentence
宿題をしてから、遊ぶ。
I'll play after I finish my homework.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (て-form) | V-て + から | 食べる → 食べてから |
Examples
手を洗ってからご飯を食べる。
I eat after washing my hands.
よく考えてから返事をします。
I'll reply after thinking it over carefully.
When you can't use it
- The first action must fully finish before the second begins — the order is fixed. Don't use てから for two simultaneous actions; that's ながら (歩きながら).
Easily confused with
Notes
- With a duration, てから also means 'ever since': 日本に来てから三年になる ('it's been three years since I came to Japan').
See てから in real sentences
Jengo shows てから 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.