N5 · Using the te-form
てから and a chain of て: one thing after another
the te-form for sequences
A string of te-forms tells actions in order; てから insists that the second waits for the first.
The te-form joins clauses into one sentence, in the order things happen: 朝起きて、顔を洗って、朝ご飯を食べます, "in the morning I get up, wash my face and have breakfast". Only the last verb carries tense and politeness. The te-forms before it take theirs from it, so in a story told in the past every te-form is past as well.
てから — the te-form plus から — means "after doing A" and puts weight on the order: B begins only once A is finished. 手を洗ってから食べてください, "please wash your hands before you eat". It is the form of instructions and of anything where the order matters. With a length of time it means "since": 日本に来てから、三年になります, "it has been three years since I came to Japan".
A plain te-form is looser than てから. Besides "and then" it can describe the manner of the next action: 歩いて行きます is "I go on foot", not "I walk and then go". てから never means manner; it is always about order.
English speakers tend to finish each clause with its own ました. The result is a list of separate events rather than one sequence. The other habit to unlearn is English word order: "before you eat, wash your hands" puts the later action first, while a Japanese chain of te-forms always tells the earlier one first.
The form
stem (regular) stem (irregular) ending
| eat → after eating | 食べてから |
| wash → after washing | 洗ってから |
| read → after reading | 読んでから |
| come → since coming | 来てから |
| do → after doing | してから |
| a chain of three | 起きて、洗って、食べる |
The rules one by one
Te-forms in a row list actions in the order they happen.
家に帰って、シャワーを浴びて、寝ました。I went home, had a shower and went to bed.
Only the last verb shows tense and politeness; the te-forms take theirs from it.
昨日はデパートに行って、靴を買いました。Yesterday I went to a department store and bought some shoes.
てから stresses that the second action starts only after the first is finished.
宿題をしてから、ゲームをします。I'll play games after I've done my homework.
てから with a length of time means "since".
東京に来てから、二年になります。It has been two years since I came to Tokyo.
A closer look
てから and あとで
Japanese has a second way to say "after": the past form plus 後で, as in 食べた後で. The two overlap, but てから leans on the sequence — first this, only then that — while 後で simply places the second event later in time. In an instruction where one step is the condition for the next, てから is the natural choice.
A te-chain usually has one subject throughout. When the subject changes, each clause names its own with が: 兄が料理を作って、私が皿を洗いました, "my brother cooked and I did the washing-up".
Exceptions and special cases (1)
-
the te-form says how the next action is done
it is manner, not sequence, and てから cannot replace it.
毎日、歩いて学校に行きます。I walk to school every day.
Walking is not finished before going begins; it is the way of going. 歩いてから would mean you walked somewhere first and then set off by some other means.
How to spot it
- てから
- でから
- 〜て、
- 〜で、
- それから
Example sentences
手を洗ってから、食べてください。Please wash your hands before you eat.
朝起きて、コーヒーを飲んで、新聞を読みます。In the morning I get up, drink a coffee and read the paper.
仕事が終わってから、友達に会いました。I met a friend after work.
駅まで歩いて、電車に乗ります。I walk to the station and take the train.
日本に来てから、納豆が好きになりました。Since coming to Japan, I have started to like natto.
よく考えてから決めます。I'll decide once I've thought it over properly.
7 more example sentences
電話をかけてから、行きます。I'll phone first and then go.
部屋を掃除して、洗濯をしました。I cleaned my room and did the washing.
大学を出てから、ずっとこの会社で働いています。I have worked at this company ever since I left university.
切符を買ってから、電車に乗ってください。Please buy a ticket before you get on the train.
友達と映画を見て、晩ご飯を食べました。I saw a film with a friend and then had dinner.
シャワーを浴びてから寝ます。I have a shower before I go to bed.
荷物を置いて、すぐ出かけました。I put my bags down and went straight out again.
Worth knowing (1)
-
English says before where Japanese says after
English likes to put the main action first and the condition second: "wash your hands before you eat". Japanese tells events in the order they happen, so the same instruction comes out as "after washing your hands, eat": 手を洗ってから食べる. When translating, find which action comes first in time — that one comes first in the Japanese sentence.
靴を脱いでから上がってください。Please take your shoes off before you come in.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
たから is the past form plus から, "because": "I went to bed because I had eaten". "After" needs the te-form: てから. One kana apart, and an entirely different sentence.
Te-forms tell actions in order; てから makes the order the point.
Your turn
9 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.