After doing: ～てから
Verb-て + から、verb
Verb-て + から = after doing… (first A, then B). Also: since.
In short
～てから stresses the order: “first this, then that”. てを あらってから、たべます (I wash my hands before eating, literally “after washing my hands, I eat”).
- しゅくだいを してから、あそびます。shukudai o shite kara, asobimasuI play after doing my homework.
- てを あらってから、たべて ください。te o aratte kara, tabete kudasaiWash your hands before eating.
- 大学を 出てから、会社に 入りました。daigaku o dete kara, kaisha ni hairimashitaAfter university, I joined a company.
The basics
て-form + から = “after doing…”. It stresses the order: the first action is finished before the second starts, often like a condition.
- ごはんを 食べてから、はを みがきます。gohan o tabete kara, ha o migakimasuI brush my teeth after eating.
- しゅくだいを してから、あそびます。shukudai o shite kara, asobimasuI'll play after doing my homework.
てから or て?
～て、～ lists actions that follow one another. ～てから stresses “first this, and only then that”.
| Phrase | Nuance |
|---|---|
| おきて、シャワーを あびます | I get up and take a shower |
| おきてから、シャワーを あびます | I take a shower once I'm up (not before) |
Since
～てから is also used to say “since”: 日本へ 来てから、三年です (it's been three years since I came to Japan).
- 日本へ 来てから、日本語の べんきょうを はじめました。nihon e kite kara, nihongo no benkyō o hajimemashitaI started studying Japanese after coming to Japan.
Common mistakes
- Mixing it up with から “because”: ～てから follows the て-form, while から “because” follows a complete sentence (～ですから, ～ますから).
- Putting the first verb in the past: “食べましたから” would mean “because I ate”.
- Mixing it up with ～たあとで (after): very close, but てから stresses the order, あとで the moment.
5 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N5 point is on the Yamanote Line (The て-form) of the Tokyo subway.