【JLPT N5】Grammar：~てから / ~tekara

sentence pattern: ~てから / ~tekara

Grammar Type: 
Conjunction

Essential Meaning: 
After X / Having done X / Since doing X

Construction: 
Verb て-Form + から
E.g. 話はなしてから [After speaking]
E.g. 食たべてから [After eating]

NOTE

• てから is just an extension of から (Starting point / Source) where one action serves as the starting point for another action. Unlike から (Reason / Cause), てから does not imply causality; it merely indicates that Sentence 1 occurs earlier than Sentence 2 in the temporal sequence. It also implies a level of volitionality and planning on the part of the speaker.
• Sentence 1 てから, Sentence 2 translates to “After doing Sentence 1, Sentence 2“, “Since doing Sentence 1, Sentence 2“, or “Having done Sentence 1, Sentence 2“, depending on the context.
  • E.g. 私わたしは友達ともだちに電話でんわしてからうちを出でた。[After calling my friend, I left my house.]
  • E.g. 私わたしたちがこの家いえを買かったからもう十年じゅうねんになる。[It’s already been ten years since we bought this house.]
• Be careful not to confuse てから with から (Reason / Cause). The two can look very similar but convey completely different meanings.
  • E.g. ジョギングをしてからシャワーを浴あびた。[After jogging, I took a shower.]
  • E.g. ジョギングをしたからシャワーを浴あびた。[Because I went jogging, I took a shower.]
• てから implies that the speaker has a high degree of volitional control over the main action in Sentence 2 and it places a strong emphasis on chronological order. The regular て-Form, on the other hand, conveys a more neutral description of events. So if the main verb in Sentence 2 does not strongly express the speaker’s wishes, desires, etc., から in てから can optionally drop to form the て-Form. However, if the main verb in Sentence 2 does convey the speaker’s volition (e.g. via a suggestion, command, request, etc.), から in てから cannot drop.
  • E.g. *勉強べんきょうが終おわって、テニスをしましょう。[After studying, let’s play tennis.] This sentence is ungrammatical, because the て-Form can not be paired with a volitional verb form in sentence 2.
  • E.g. 勉強べんきょうが終おわってからテニスをしましょう。[After studying, let’s play tennis.]
  • E.g. *勉強べんきょうが終おわって遊あそびなさい。[After studying, go out and play.] This sentence is ungrammatical, because the て-Form can not be paired with a volitional verb form in sentence 2.
  • E.g. 勉強べんきょうが終おわってから遊あそびなさい。[After studying, go out and play.]
  • E.g. ジョギングをしてからシャワーを浴あびた。[After jogging, I took a shower.] てから emphasizes the temporal sequence of events; the jogging took place before the shower, and this is important / relevant.
  • E.g. ジョギングをしてシャワーを浴あびた。[After jogging, I took a shower.] In this case, the て-Form conveys a neutral description of events. The fact that showering takes place after jogging is not particularly relevant.

Example Sentences

クリスは晩ばんご飯はんを食たべてから映画えいがに行いった。

After Chris ate dinner, she went to a movie.

私わたしは友達ともだちに電話でんわしてからうちを出でた。

After calling my friend, I left my house.

ジョンはいつもシャワーを浴あびてから寝ねます。

John always goes to bed after taking a shower.

私わたしたちがこの家いえを買かってからもう十年じゅうねんになる。

It’s already been 10 years since we bought this house.

二年前にねんまえに交通事故こうつうじこを起おこしてから、マークは車くるまに乗のらないようにしています。

Since causing a car accident two years ago, Mark has been avoiding riding in cars.