JLPT N5 grammar · Intermediate Action Patterns

~てから: meaning, usage and examples

~てから means: after [Verb] / [Verb] and then...

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

Examples

1. この仕事しごとが終おわってから、かえります。

   I'll leave after this job is done.

2. 手てを洗あらってから、ごはんを食たべます。

   I eat my meal after washing my hands.

3. 宿題しゅくだいをしてから、テレビを見みます。

   I’ll watch TV after doing my homework.

4. 電話でんわをしてから、行いきます。

   I’ll call first, then go.

When to use it

Expresses clear sequential order: 'After doing X, do/did Y'. The X action must complete before Y.

Nuance

〜てから is more explicitly sequential than 〜て. It emphasizes completion of the first action.

Compare

〜た後あとで is also 'after', but slightly more formal and emphasizes elapsed time after completion.

Tip: Don’t confuse 〜てから (after doing) with 〜から on its own (because). The て form before から is what makes it “after”.

More on this in The Japanese te-form.