N2 Timing, Occasions, and Triggers

~て以来いらい/~てこのかた: meaning, usage and examples

~て以来いらい/~てこのかた means: since... / ever since...

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 日本にほんに来きて以来いらい、毎日まいにちが楽たのしい。

   Ever since I came to Japan, every day has been fun.

2. 生うまれてこのかた、こんなことは初はじめてだ。

   Nothing like this has ever happened to me in my whole life.

3. 引ひっ越こして以来いらい、木村きむらさんとは一度いちども会あっていない。

   I haven't seen Mr. Kimura even once since I moved.

4. 大学だいがくを卒業そつぎょうしてこのかた、ずっと同おなじ会社かいしゃで働はたらいている。

   Ever since graduating from college, I have worked at the same company.

When to use it

Use this to say that a situation has continued from a point in the past up to now: 大学だいがくを卒業そつぎょうしてこのかた、ずっと同おなじ会社かいしゃで働はたらいている (ever since graduating, I have worked at the same company). The starting point is a single event, and the second clause is a continuing state, often 〜ている or a negative like 一度いちども〜ない.

Nuance

て以来いらい is neutral and common in speech and writing. てこのかた is more literary and dramatic, often in fixed phrases like 生うまれてこのかた. The starting event should be fairly far in the past, not yesterday. The second clause describes a lasting state, not a single action.

Compare

てから just shows order and can be followed by a one-time action: 家いえに帰かえってから電話でんわした. て以来いらい needs a continuing state: 引ひっ越こして以来いらい、一度いちども会あっていない. 以降いこう marks a point onward and is common with dates: 10日とおか以降いこうは休やすみです.

Tip: Check the second clause: if it shows something that has continued until now, use て以来いらい. For a single next action, use てから.