For autodidact students of Japanese, それから (sorekara) is "then" in the sense of "after that": the word that sets the next event behind the last one. 朝ご飯を食べました。それから学校に行きました (Asagohan wo tabemashita. Sorekara gakkō ni ikimashita: I ate breakfast. Then I went to school). Said alone as a question it is "and then?": それから？ (Sorekara?), それからどうしましたか (Sorekara dō shimashita ka: And then, what did you do?).
It is a conjunction (接続詞, setsuzokushi) built from それ ("that") and から ("from"): literally "from that." Japanese dictionaries give it two main jobs, and a third comes from the same root: - Sequence: after that, next. 顔を洗って、それから朝ご飯を食べます (I wash my face, and then I eat breakfast). - Addition: and also, and then there is. コーヒーをください。それから、パンもください (A coffee, please. And bread too, please). - Since then: from that time on. それから三年たちました (Three years have passed since then).
English "then" has other jobs that それから does not do. "Then" for "in that case" ("It's raining? Then let's stay in") is じゃあ or それなら. "Then" for "at that time" ("I lived in Osaka then") is その時 (sono toki) or あの頃 (ano koro). Keep それから for what comes after.
Words that sit beside それから: - そして (soshite): "and, and then." It joins things that belong together and moves a scene on; それから stresses the order in time. - その後 (sono go): "afterwards," more formal and more distant than それから. - 次に (tsugi ni): "next," used for steps in a procedure. - それで (sorede): "and so," the result of what was just said. - じゃあ / それでは / では (jā / sore de wa / de wa): "well then, in that case," the conclusion drawn from what was said. - それなら (sore nara): "if so, then." - あれから (arekara): "since then," looking back at a remembered time far off. - これから (korekara): "from now on," looking forward (it is in Lesson 51).
This lesson teaches それから and shows where these neighbours take over.
Key Takeaways: - それから (sorekara): then, after that; and also; since then. A conjunction, used at the start of a sentence or after a comma - Sequence: 〜て、それから〜 (do X, then do Y) - Addition: A、それから B (A, and then also B), used for the later items of a list - Since then: それから＋a length of time＋たつ / 過ぎる (それから三年たちました) - それからというもの: ever since then - それからの＋noun: the ... that followed (それからの日々, the days that followed) - それから？ / それからどうなりましたか: "and then?", "and what happened next?" - Not "in that case" (じゃあ, それなら), not "so" (それで, だから), not "at that time" (その時) - 次に, その後, 続いて: more formal ways to say "next" and "afterwards"
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それから is written in hiragana only: そ・れ・か・ら, four syllables, each one mora, with nothing doubled and nothing long. It has no everyday kanji spelling, so do not look for one.
The word belongs to the こ・そ・あ・ど family that runs through Japanese. これ is "this" (near me), それ is "that" (near you, or just mentioned), あれ is "that over there," どれ is "which." Add から and you have これから (from now on), それから (from that point on, after that), あれから (since that distant time) and どれから (which one first?). Seeing the pattern once saves learning four words.
A から on its own is the particle "from, since." After a て-form it also gives "after doing": 食べてから行きます (I'll go after eating). That is the same から as in それから, and it explains why それから means "after that."
The word is old. 精選版日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, shortened edition) gives examples written as ソレカラ in the Amakusa edition of Aesop's fables (Esopo, 1593) and as それから in Ihara Saikaku's 好色一代男 (Kōshoku Ichidai Otoko, 1682).
Three common kanji turn up beside it in this lesson. 後 reads ato, go or nochi: その後 (sono go, afterwards). 次 reads tsugi: 次に (tsugi ni, next). 時 reads toki or ji: その時 (sono toki, at that time), 十時 (jūji, ten o'clock). Punctuation: それから is often followed by a comma in writing, それから、…, to mark the pause before the next event.
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52.1a それから then どう how しました do-PAST.POLITE か Q
52.1b sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then dō (doh) how shimashita (shee-mah-shee-tah) do-PAST.POLITE ka (kah) Q
52.2a それから then 私 I は TOP すぐ at-once 寝ました sleep-PAST.POLITE
52.2b sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then watashi (wah-tah-shee) I wa (wah) TOP sugu (soo-goo) at-once nemashita (neh-mah-shee-tah) sleep-PAST.POLITE
52.3a それから and-also 水 water も also ください give-me.REQUEST
52.3b sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) and-also mizu (mee-zoo) water mo (moh) also kudasai (koo-dah-sah-ee) give-me.REQUEST
52.4a それから since-then 三年 three-years たちました pass-PAST.POLITE
52.4b sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) since-then sannen (sahn-nehn) three-years tachimashita (tah-chee-mah-shee-tah) pass-PAST.POLITE
52.5a 朝 morning 起きて get-up-TE それから then 歯 teeth を OBJ 磨きます brush-POLITE
52.5b asa (ah-sah) morning okite (oh-kee-teh) get-up-TE sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then ha (hah) teeth wo (oh) OBJ migakimasu (mee-gah-kee-mahss) brush-POLITE
52.6a 手 hand を OBJ 洗って wash-TE ください please それから then ご飯 meal を OBJ 食べましょう eat-LET'S
52.6b te (teh) hand wo (oh) OBJ aratte (ah-raht-teh) wash-TE kudasai (koo-dah-sah-ee) please sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then gohan (goh-hahn) meal wo (oh) OBJ tabemashō (tah-beh-mah-shoh) eat-LET'S
52.7a まず first 駅 station まで as-far-as 歩いて walk-TE それから then 電車 train に ON 乗ります ride-POLITE
52.7b mazu (mah-zoo) first eki (eh-kee) station made (mah-deh) as-far-as aruite (ah-roo-ee-teh) walk-TE sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then densha (dehn-shah) train ni (nee) ON norimasu (noh-ree-mahss) ride-POLITE
52.8a それから then 先生 teacher は TOP 何 what と QUOT 言いました say-PAST.POLITE か Q
52.8b sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then sensei (sehn-say) teacher wa (wah) TOP nani (nah-nee) what to (toh) QUOT iimashita (ee-ee-mah-shee-tah) say-PAST.POLITE ka (kah) Q
52.9a トマト tomato と and 卵 egg それから and-also 牛乳 milk を OBJ 買って buy-TE きて come-TE ください please
52.9b tomato (toh-mah-toh) tomato to (toh) and tamago (tah-mah-go) egg sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) and-also gyūnyū (gyoo-nyoo) milk wo (oh) OBJ katte (kaht-teh) buy-TE kite (kee-teh) come-TE kudasai (koo-dah-sah-ee) please
52.10a 大学 university を OBJ 出て leave-TE それから since-then 十年 ten-years 同じ same 会社 company で LOC 働いて work-TE います be-POLITE
52.10b daigaku (dah-ee-gah-koo) university wo (oh) OBJ dete (deh-teh) leave-TE sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) since-then jūnen (joo-nehn) ten-years onaji (oh-nah-jee) same kaisha (kah-ee-shah) company de (deh) LOC hataraite (hah-tah-rah-ee-teh) work-TE imasu (ee-mahss) be-POLITE
52.11a それからというもの ever-since-then 彼 he は TOP 毎朝 every-morning 走る run-NONPAST ように MANNER なった become-PAST
52.11b sorekara to iu mono (soh-reh-kah-rah toh yoo moh-noh) ever-since-then kare (kah-reh) he wa (wah) TOP maiasa (mah-ee-ah-sah) every-morning hashiru (hah-shee-roo) run-NONPAST yō ni (yoh nee) MANNER natta (naht-tah) become-PAST
52.12a 荷物 luggage を OBJ 置いて put-down-TE 少し a-little 休んで rest-TE それから then 町 town を OBJ 見に see-PURPOSE 出かけた set-out-PAST
52.12b nimotsu (nee-moh-tsoo) luggage wo (oh) OBJ oite (oh-ee-teh) put-down-TE sukoshi (soo-koh-shee) a-little yasunde (yah-soon-deh) rest-TE sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then machi (mah-chee) town wo (oh) OBJ mi ni (mee nee) see-PURPOSE dekaketa (deh-kah-keh-tah) set-out-PAST
52.13a まっすぐ straight 行って go-TE 二つ目 second の GEN 角 corner を PATH 右 right に DIR 曲がって turn-TE ください please それから then 百メートル hundred-metres ぐらい about 歩くと walk-when 郵便局 post-office が SUBJ あります exist-POLITE
52.13b massugu (mahss-soo-goo) straight itte (eet-teh) go-TE futatsume (foo-tah-tsoo-meh) second no (noh) GEN kado (kah-doh) corner wo (oh) PATH migi (mee-gee) right ni (nee) DIR magatte (mah-gaht-teh) turn-TE kudasai (koo-dah-sah-ee) please sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then hyaku mētoru (hyah-koo meh-toh-roo) hundred-metres gurai (goo-rah-ee) about aruku to (ah-roo-koo toh) walk-when yūbinkyoku (yoo-been-kyoh-koo) post-office ga (gah) SUBJ arimasu (ah-ree-mahss) exist-POLITE
52.14a 映画 film を OBJ 見ました see-PAST.POLITE それから then 友達 friend と with 食事 meal を OBJ して do-TE 遅く late まで until 話しました talk-PAST.POLITE
52.14b eiga (ay-gah) film wo (oh) OBJ mimashita (mee-mah-shee-tah) see-PAST.POLITE sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then tomodachi (toh-moh-dah-chee) friend to (toh) with shokuji (shoh-koo-jee) meal wo (oh) OBJ shite (shee-teh) do-TE osoku (oh-soh-koo) late made (mah-deh) until hanashimashita (hah-nah-shee-mah-shee-tah) talk-PAST.POLITE
52.15a 嵐 storm の GEN 夜 night の GEN こと matter は TOP 覚えて remember-TE います be-POLITE が but それから after-that の GEN こと matter は TOP よく well 覚えて remember-TE いません be-NEG.POLITE
52.15b arashi (ah-rah-shee) storm no (noh) GEN yoru (yoh-roo) night no (noh) GEN koto (koh-toh) matter wa (wah) TOP oboete (oh-boh-eh-teh) remember-TE imasu (ee-mahss) be-POLITE ga (gah) but sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) after-that no (noh) GEN koto (koh-toh) matter wa (wah) TOP yoku (yoh-koo) well oboete (oh-boh-eh-teh) remember-TE imasen (ee-mah-sen) be-NEG.POLITE
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52.1 それから、どうしましたか。(Sorekara, dō shimashita ka.) "And then, what did you do?" 52.2 それから私はすぐ寝ました。(Sorekara watashi wa sugu nemashita.) "After that I went straight to sleep." 52.3 それから水もください。(Sorekara mizu mo kudasai.) "And some water too, please." 52.4 それから三年たちました。(Sorekara sannen tachimashita.) "Three years have passed since then." 52.5 朝起きて、それから歯を磨きます。(Asa okite, sorekara ha wo migakimasu.) "I get up in the morning, and then I brush my teeth." 52.6 手を洗ってください。それからご飯を食べましょう。(Te wo aratte kudasai. Sorekara gohan wo tabemashō.) "Please wash your hands. Then let's eat." 52.7 まず駅まで歩いて、それから電車に乗ります。(Mazu eki made aruite, sorekara densha ni norimasu.) "First I walk to the station, and then I take the train." 52.8 それから先生は何と言いましたか。(Sorekara sensei wa nani to iimashita ka.) "And what did the teacher say after that?" 52.9 トマトと卵、それから牛乳を買ってきてください。(Tomato to tamago, sorekara gyūnyū wo katte kite kudasai.) "Please go and buy tomatoes and eggs, and also milk." 52.10 大学を出て、それから十年、同じ会社で働いています。(Daigaku wo dete, sorekara jūnen, onaji kaisha de hataraite imasu.) "I left university, and since then I have worked ten years at the same company." 52.11 それからというもの、彼は毎朝走るようになった。(Sorekara to iu mono, kare wa maiasa hashiru yō ni natta.) "Ever since then, he has taken to running every morning." 52.12 荷物を置いて、少し休んで、それから町を見に出かけた。(Nimotsu wo oite, sukoshi yasunde, sorekara machi wo mi ni dekaketa.) "I put down my luggage, rested a little, and then set out to see the town." 52.13 まっすぐ行って、二つ目の角を右に曲がってください。それから百メートルぐらい歩くと、郵便局があります。(Massugu itte, futatsume no kado wo migi ni magatte kudasai. Sorekara hyaku mētoru gurai aruku to, yūbinkyoku ga arimasu.) "Go straight, and turn right at the second corner. Then, after walking about a hundred metres, you will find the post office." 52.14 映画を見ました。それから友達と食事をして、遅くまで話しました。(Eiga wo mimashita. Sorekara tomodachi to shokuji wo shite, osoku made hanashimashita.) "I watched a film. Then I had a meal with a friend, and we talked until late." 52.15 嵐の夜のことは覚えていますが、それからのことはよく覚えていません。(Arashi no yoru no koto wa oboete imasu ga, sorekara no koto wa yoku oboete imasen.) "I remember the night of the storm, but I do not remember well what came after."
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52.1 それから、どうしましたか。 52.2 それから私はすぐ寝ました。 52.3 それから水もください。 52.4 それから三年たちました。 52.5 朝起きて、それから歯を磨きます。 52.6 手を洗ってください。それからご飯を食べましょう。 52.7 まず駅まで歩いて、それから電車に乗ります。 52.8 それから先生は何と言いましたか。 52.9 トマトと卵、それから牛乳を買ってきてください。 52.10 大学を出て、それから十年、同じ会社で働いています。 52.11 それからというもの、彼は毎朝走るようになった。 52.12 荷物を置いて、少し休んで、それから町を見に出かけた。 52.13 まっすぐ行って、二つ目の角を右に曲がってください。それから百メートルぐらい歩くと、郵便局があります。 52.14 映画を見ました。それから友達と食事をして、遅くまで話しました。 52.15 嵐の夜のことは覚えていますが、それからのことはよく覚えていません。
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These are the grammar rules for それから (sorekara), "then."
それから is a conjunction, and it has three jobs. The standard dictionaries (デジタル大辞泉 and 精選版日本国語大辞典) describe two: it shows that a later matter follows an earlier one in time ("then, next"), and it adds a later matter to an earlier one ("and also"). The third is "since then," where それ points back to a moment and から means "from." - Sequence (52.5, 52.6, 52.7, 52.12): 〜て、それから〜 (do X, then do Y) - Addition (52.3, 52.9): A、それから B (A, and also B) - Since then (52.4, 52.10, 52.11): それから＋time＋たつ / 過ぎる, or a state that began then - "And then?" (52.1, 52.8): それから＋question word
Where it goes. それから stands at the head of a sentence (52.1, 52.2) or begins the second clause after a comma (52.5, 52.7). It is not a particle and does not attach to a noun in mid-clause the way と or や does. The one exception is それからの＋noun (below).
〜て、それから〜: a chain with a marked step. The て-form alone already joins actions in order: 顔を洗って朝ご飯を食べます. Putting それから after the comma makes the order explicit and sets the second step apart as a new stage. It is natural in instructions (52.6, 52.7, 52.13) and in telling a day in order (52.14).
A、それから B: listing. In a list, と joins the early items and それから adds a later one: トマトと卵、それから牛乳 (52.9). It is the later item that follows それから, never the first.
Since then: それから＋a length of time. それから三年たちました (52.4) and それから十年、同じ会社で働いています (52.10) count time from a point already named. The verb in the second pattern is a state still going on, so it takes 〜ています.
それからというもの. "Ever since then." The というもの adds weight to それから and says that the situation after the event is a change of kind. It is followed by a clause describing the new state, here 走るようになった (52.11).
〜ようになる. After a dictionary-form verb, ようになる means "come to do, get to the point of doing": 走るようになった, "he came to run (every morning)."
それからの＋noun. The の makes それから an adjective for a noun: それからのこと (what came after, 52.15), それからの日々 (the days that followed), それからの人生 (the life after that).
〜と, "when" (52.13). The plain non-past verb plus と gives "when ... (then) ..." 歩くと、郵便局があります: "when you walk, there is a post office," that is, you will come to it.
〜に出かける, purpose (52.12). The stem of a verb plus に gives the purpose of a movement: 町を見に出かけた, "set out in order to see the town." (見に is read mi ni.)
〜てください and 〜ましょう. 洗ってください (52.6) and 曲がってください (52.13) are the polite request form. 食べましょう is "let's eat."
それから and its neighbours: - それから (sorekara): after that, and also, since then. 食べて、それから行きます. - そして (soshite): and, and so on; it links matters that go together, and so is the word for adding without a time order. 風が吹いて、そして雨が降り出した (the wind blew, and rain began to fall). - その後 (sono go): afterwards; more formal. その後、連絡はありません (there has been no word since). - 次に (tsugi ni): next, in a procedure. 次に、水を入れてください (next, add the water). - それで (sorede): and so, the result. 雨が降ってきました。それで、行くのをやめました (it began to rain. So we gave up going). - じゃあ / それでは (jā / sore de wa): well then, in that case. 雨ですか。じゃあ、家にいましょう (Raining? Then let's stay home). - それなら (sore nara): if that is so. それなら、私が行きます (in that case I will go). - その時 (sono toki): at that time. その時、私は東京にいました (I was in Tokyo then). - あれから (arekara): since then (a time long past). あれから十年がたちました (ten years have passed since then). - これから (korekara): from now on. これから勉強します (I'm going to study from now).
Common Mistakes: - Using それから for "so." \*雨です。それから家にいます. That says "It's raining. And then I'll stay at home," as two events in order. For cause and result use それで or だから: 雨です。だから家にいます. - Using それから for "in that case." English "then" in "Then let's go" is じゃあ: じゃあ行きましょう, not \*それから行きましょう. The latter means "and after that, let's go." - Using それから for "at that time." その時 points to a moment; それから points to what comes after it. その時、雨が降っていた (it was raining then); それから雨がやんだ (after that the rain stopped). - Mixing up それから and これから. これから is "from now on" and looks forward (これから勉強します); それから looks back to something already said or done. - Starting a list with それから. The first item in a list takes no connector: コーヒーとパン、それからケーキ, not \*それからコーヒーとパン. - Spelling it in kanji. それから is a hiragana word.
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それから is the plainest storyteller's word in Japanese. Asked as それから？ or それからどうなったの, it urges a speaker on: "and then? what happened next?" It is also how a speaker tells a day in order: 朝起きて、それから…, then それから…, each それから handing the telling on to the next step. A string of them has the sound of someone speaking, so in formal writing and in business Japanese the more formal 次に (next), その後 (afterwards) and 続いて (following) are preferred.
The word is old. The 精選版日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, shortened edition) quotes examples from the Amakusa edition of Aesop's fables (the Jesuit mission press, 1593) and from Ihara Saikaku's 好色一代男 (1682). The same dictionary gives the adding sense as a separate entry, with an example from 1943 (あなたとそれからあなたのお母さんと…). Both dictionaries put the time order first and the adding of items second.
In 1909 the novelist Natsume Sōseki gave the word to a novel. 『それから』 (Sorekara) appeared that year in the Tokyo and Osaka Asahi newspapers and came out as a book in January 1910. It is the middle one of the three novels called his early trilogy, between 『三四郎』 (Sanshirō, 1908) and 『門』 (Mon, 1910). The title names not a beginning but a "what came after." Section F takes the opening sentence of that book.
Register: それから is neutral and spoken at every level, with polite or plain endings alike (それから、どうしましたか; それから、どうしたの). In writing it is common in narration and in letters, and it is the usual word for the next item when ordering in a café or shop (コーヒーをください。それから…). In formal writing prefer 次に and その後.
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夏目漱石 (Natsume Sōseki), 《それから》 (Sorekara, "And Then"), 1909 — opening sentence of Chapter 1
誰か慌ただしく門前を馳けて行く足音がした時、代助の頭の中には、大きな俎下駄が空から、ぶら下っていた。
The sentence is printed in the form given by Aozora Bunko, the free digital library of public-domain Japanese texts, and checked against a second online edition of the opening. The title of the novel is the word of this lesson.
F-A: Interlinear
F.1a 誰か someone 慌ただしく hurriedly 門前 gate-front を PATH 馳けて run-TE 行く go-NONPAST 足音 footsteps が SUBJ した make-PAST 時 when
F.1b dareka (dah-reh-kah) someone awatadashiku (ah-wah-tah-dah-shee-koo) hurriedly monzen (mohn-zen) gate-front wo (oh) PATH kakete (kah-keh-teh) run-TE yuku (yoo-koo) go-NONPAST ashioto (ah-shee-oh-toh) footsteps ga (gah) SUBJ shita (shee-tah) make-PAST toki (toh-kee) when
F.2a 代助 Daisuke の GEN 頭 head の GEN 中 inside に LOC は TOP 大きな big 俎下駄 chopping-board-clog が SUBJ 空 sky から from ぶら下って dangle-TE いた be-PAST
F.2b Daisuke (dah-ee-soo-keh) Daisuke no (noh) GEN atama (ah-tah-mah) head no (noh) GEN naka (nah-kah) inside ni (nee) LOC wa (wah) TOP ōkina (oh-kee-nah) big manaitageta (mah-nah-ee-tah-geh-tah) chopping-board-clog ga (gah) SUBJ kū (koo) sky kara (kah-rah) from burasagatte (boo-rah-sah-gaht-teh) dangle-TE ita (ee-tah) be-PAST
F-B: Original and Translation
誰か慌ただしく門前を馳けて行く足音がした時、代助の頭の中には、大きな俎下駄が空から、ぶら下っていた。
"When there was the sound of someone's hurried footsteps running past in front of the gate, a great chopping-board clog was hanging from the sky inside Daisuke's head." (Translation: Latinum Institute.)
F-C: Original
誰か慌ただしく門前を馳けて行く足音がした時、 代助の頭の中には、 大きな俎下駄が空から、 ぶら下っていた。
F-D: Grammar and Literary Commentary
The sentence does not contain the word それから. The word is the title of the book, and that is why the lesson takes the book's opening. 『それから』 is the second of Sōseki's early trilogy, after 『三四郎』, and the title is usually understood in that way: the sequel that carries on from what came before. Its first sentence does what the word does. A sound (footsteps) comes first, and then something follows from it: the image in Daisuke's mind. In the lines that follow, the image fades with the footsteps and Daisuke wakes.
The grammar is plain and useful. 足音がした時 is a time clause: "at the time when the sound of footsteps was made," that is, when footsteps sounded. The thing that made the sound is given by the clause before it, a relative clause 誰か慌ただしく門前を馳けて行く, "someone hurrying past the front of the gate," which describes the 足音 that follows. 馳けて is an older spelling of 駆けて (kakete, "running"); 行く after it gives movement away, "going by." The subject of the main clause is 俎下駄 (manaitageta), a clog shaped like a chopping board, and the に in 頭の中には marks where it is: inside the head. The は after に sets "inside Daisuke's head" as the topic. 空から is "from the sky" (空 is read kū here, the Sino-Japanese reading, in the sense of the void above; elsewhere it is read sora). ぶら下っていた is the old spelling of ぶら下がっていた: "was hanging," a state going on, the 〜ている form in the past.
The effect is of an image that does not explain itself: a clog hung from nowhere, set off by something heard in the street.
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Haruka runs for the last train and misses it, and the night that follows is told step by step. The narrative uses the plain written style (the dictionary form and the plain past), as Japanese stories do. Every sentence turns on それから.
52.16a 遥 Haruka は TOP 会社 office を OBJ 出て leave-TE それから then 駅 station へ DIR 走った run-PAST
52.16b Haruka (hah-roo-kah) Haruka wa (wah) TOP kaisha (kah-ee-shah) office wo (oh) OBJ dete (deh-teh) leave-TE sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then eki (eh-kee) station e (eh) DIR hashitta (hah-shit-tah) run-PAST
52.17a それから then 改札 ticket-gate を PATH 抜ける pass-through-NONPAST と when ホーム platform に LOC は TOP 誰 who も ANY いなかった exist.ANIM-NEG.PAST
52.17b sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then kaisatsu (kah-ee-sah-tsoo) ticket-gate wo (oh) PATH nukeru (noo-keh-roo) pass-through-NONPAST to (toh) when hōmu (hoh-moo) platform ni (nee) LOC wa (wah) TOP dare (dah-reh) who mo (moh) ANY inakatta (ee-nah-kaht-tah) exist.ANIM-NEG.PAST
52.18a 掲示板 notice-board を OBJ 見て see-TE それから then 時計 clock を OBJ 見た see-PAST
52.18b keijiban (kay-jee-bahn) notice-board wo (oh) OBJ mite (mee-teh) see-TE sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then tokei (toh-kay) clock wo (oh) OBJ mita (mee-tah) see-PAST
52.19a 時計 clock は TOP 零時五分 five-past-midnight で COP-TE それから then 終電 last-train が SUBJ もう already 出て leave-TE しまった end-up-PAST と QUOT わかった understand-PAST
52.19b tokei (toh-kay) clock wa (wah) TOP reiji gofun (ray-jee goh-foon) five-past-midnight de (deh) COP-TE sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then shūden (shoo-dehn) last-train ga (gah) SUBJ mō (moh) already dete (deh-teh) leave-TE shimatta (shee-maht-tah) end-up-PAST to (toh) QUOT wakatta (wah-kaht-tah) understand-PAST
52.20a 遥 Haruka は TOP しばらく a-while ベンチ bench に LOC 座って sit-TE それから then スマホ smartphone で BY 美咲 Misaki に DAT 電話 phone を OBJ かけた make-PAST
52.20b Haruka (hah-roo-kah) Haruka wa (wah) TOP shibaraku (shee-bah-rah-koo) a-while benchi (behn-chee) bench ni (nee) LOC suwatte (soo-waht-teh) sit-TE sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then sumaho (soo-mah-hoh) smartphone de (deh) BY Misaki (mee-sah-kee) Misaki ni (nee) DAT denwa (dehn-wah) phone wo (oh) OBJ kaketa (kah-keh-tah) make-PAST
52.21a 美咲 Misaki は TOP 三回目 third-time の GEN コール ring で AT 電話 phone に TO 出て answer-TE それから then 眠そうな sleepy-looking 声 voice で WITH どう how した do-PAST の Q と QUOT 言った say-PAST
52.21b Misaki (mee-sah-kee) Misaki wa (wah) TOP sankaime (sahn-kah-ee-meh) third-time no (noh) GEN kōru (koh-roo) ring de (deh) AT denwa (dehn-wah) phone ni (nee) TO dete (deh-teh) answer-TE sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then nemusō na (neh-moo-soh nah) sleepy-looking koe (koh-eh) voice de (deh) WITH dō (doh) how shita (shee-tah) do-PAST no (noh) Q to (toh) QUOT itta (eet-tah) say-PAST
52.22a 遥 Haruka は TOP 事情 circumstances を OBJ 話し tell-STEM それから then 泊めて put-up-TE もらえる receive-POT か Q 聞いて ask-TE みた try-PAST
52.22b Haruka (hah-roo-kah) Haruka wa (wah) TOP jijō (jee-joh) circumstances wo (oh) OBJ hanashi (hah-nah-shee) tell-STEM sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then tomete (toh-meh-teh) put-up-TE moraeru (moh-rah-eh-roo) receive-POT ka (kah) Q kiite (kee-ee-teh) ask-TE mita (mee-tah) try-PAST
52.23a 美咲 Misaki は TOP 少し a-little 笑って laugh-TE それから then いい good よ FP タクシー taxi で BY 来て come-TE.REQUEST と QUOT 言った say-PAST
52.23b Misaki (mee-sah-kee) Misaki wa (wah) TOP sukoshi (soo-koh-shee) a-little waratte (wah-raht-teh) laugh-TE sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then ii (ee-ee) good yo (yoh) FP takushī (tah-koo-shee) taxi de (deh) BY kite (kee-teh) come-TE.REQUEST to (toh) QUOT itta (eet-tah) say-PAST
52.24a 遥 Haruka は TOP タクシー taxi を OBJ 呼び call-STEM それから then 十分 ten-minutes ほど about して do-TE 黄色い yellow 車 car が SUBJ 駅 station の GEN 前 front に LOC 止まった stop-PAST
52.24b Haruka (hah-roo-kah) Haruka wa (wah) TOP takushī (tah-koo-shee) taxi wo (oh) OBJ yobi (yoh-bee) call-STEM sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then juppun (joop-poon) ten-minutes hodo (hoh-doh) about shite (shee-teh) do-TE kiiroi (kee-ee-roh-ee) yellow kuruma (koo-roo-mah) car ga (gah) SUBJ eki (eh-kee) station no (noh) GEN mae (mah-eh) front ni (nee) LOC tomatta (toh-maht-tah) stop-PAST
52.25a 運転手 driver は TOP どちら which-way まで as-far-as と QUOT 聞き ask-STEM それから then 行き先 destination を OBJ カーナビ car-navigation で BY 確かめた confirm-PAST
52.25b untenshu (oon-tehn-shoo) driver wa (wah) TOP dochira (doh-chee-rah) which-way made (mah-deh) as-far-as to (toh) QUOT kiki (kee-kee) ask-STEM sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then ikisaki (ee-kee-sah-kee) destination wo (oh) OBJ kānabi (kah-nah-bee) car-navigation de (deh) BY tashikameta (tah-shee-kah-meh-tah) confirm-PAST
52.26a 車 car は TOP 夜 night の GEN 街 town を OBJ 走り run-STEM それから then 大きな big 橋 bridge を OBJ 渡った cross-PAST
52.26b kuruma (koo-roo-mah) car wa (wah) TOP yoru (yoh-roo) night no (noh) GEN machi (mah-chee) town wo (oh) OBJ hashiri (hah-shee-ree) run-STEM sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then ōkina (oh-kee-nah) big hashi (hah-shee) bridge wo (oh) OBJ watatta (wah-taht-tah) cross-PAST
52.27a 遥 Haruka は TOP 窓 window の GEN 外 outside を OBJ 見て see-TE いた be-PAST が but それから then 急に suddenly 眠く sleepy-ADV なった become-PAST
52.27b Haruka (hah-roo-kah) Haruka wa (wah) TOP mado (mah-doh) window no (noh) GEN soto (soh-toh) outside wo (oh) OBJ mite (mee-teh) see-TE ita (ee-tah) be-PAST ga (gah) but sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then kyū ni (kyoo nee) suddenly nemuku (neh-moo-koo) sleepy-ADV natta (naht-tah) become-PAST
52.28a 目 eye が SUBJ 覚めた wake-PAST とき time それから since-then 何分 how-many-minutes たった pass-PAST の NMLZ か Q わからなかった know-NEG.PAST
52.28b me (meh) eye ga (gah) SUBJ sameta (sah-meh-tah) wake-PAST toki (toh-kee) time sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) since-then nanpun (nahm-poon) how-many-minutes tatta (taht-tah) pass-PAST no (noh) NMLZ ka (kah) Q wakaranakatta (wah-kah-rah-nah-kaht-tah) know-NEG.PAST
52.29a 美咲 Misaki の GEN マンション apartment-building の GEN 前 front で AT 車 car が SUBJ 止まり stop-STEM それから then 運転手 driver が SUBJ 静かに quietly 着きました arrive-PAST.POLITE よ FP と QUOT 言った say-PAST
52.29b Misaki (mee-sah-kee) Misaki no (noh) GEN manshon (mahn-shohn) apartment-building no (noh) GEN mae (mah-eh) front de (deh) AT kuruma (koo-roo-mah) car ga (gah) SUBJ tomari (toh-mah-ree) stop-STEM sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then untenshu (oon-tehn-shoo) driver ga (gah) SUBJ shizuka ni (shee-zoo-kah nee) quietly tsukimashita (tsoo-kee-mah-shee-tah) arrive-PAST.POLITE yo (yoh) FP to (toh) QUOT itta (eet-tah) say-PAST
52.30a 遥 Haruka は TOP 料金 fare を OBJ 払い pay-STEM それから then やっと at-last 笑った laugh-PAST
52.30b Haruka (hah-roo-kah) Haruka wa (wah) TOP ryōkin (ryoh-keen) fare wo (oh) OBJ harai (hah-rah-ee) pay-STEM sorekara (soh-reh-kah-rah) then yatto (yaht-toh) at-last waratta (wah-raht-tah) laugh-PAST
52.16 遥は会社を出て、それから駅へ走った。(Haruka wa kaisha wo dete, sorekara eki e hashitta.) "Haruka left the office and then ran to the station." 52.17 それから改札を抜けると、ホームには誰もいなかった。(Sorekara kaisatsu wo nukeru to, hōmu ni wa dare mo inakatta.) "Then, when she came through the ticket gate, there was no one on the platform." 52.18 掲示板を見て、それから時計を見た。(Keijiban wo mite, sorekara tokei wo mita.) "She looked at the notice board and then at the clock." 52.19 時計は零時五分で、それから終電がもう出てしまったとわかった。(Tokei wa reiji gofun de, sorekara shūden ga mō dete shimatta to wakatta.) "The clock said five past midnight, and then she understood that the last train had already gone." 52.20 遥はしばらくベンチに座って、それからスマホで美咲に電話をかけた。(Haruka wa shibaraku benchi ni suwatte, sorekara sumaho de Misaki ni denwa wo kaketa.) "Haruka sat on a bench for a while, and then called Misaki on her phone." 52.21 美咲は三回目のコールで電話に出て、それから眠そうな声で「どうしたの」と言った。(Misaki wa sankaime no kōru de denwa ni dete, sorekara nemusō na koe de "dō shita no" to itta.) "Misaki answered on the third ring and then said in a sleepy voice, 'What's the matter?'" 52.22 遥は事情を話し、それから泊めてもらえるか聞いてみた。(Haruka wa jijō wo hanashi, sorekara tomete moraeru ka kiite mita.) "Haruka explained, and then asked whether she could stay the night." 52.23 美咲は少し笑って、それから「いいよ、タクシーで来て」と言った。(Misaki wa sukoshi waratte, sorekara "ii yo, takushī de kite" to itta.) "Misaki laughed a little and then said, 'Sure, come by taxi.'" 52.24 遥はタクシーを呼び、それから十分ほどして、黄色い車が駅の前に止まった。(Haruka wa takushī wo yobi, sorekara juppun hodo shite, kiiroi kuruma ga eki no mae ni tomatta.) "Haruka called a taxi, and about ten minutes after that a yellow car stopped in front of the station." 52.25 運転手は「どちらまで」と聞き、それから行き先をカーナビで確かめた。(Untenshu wa "dochira made" to kiki, sorekara ikisaki wo kānabi de tashikameta.) "The driver asked, 'Where to?' and then checked the destination on the car navigation." 52.26 車は夜の街を走り、それから大きな橋を渡った。(Kuruma wa yoru no machi wo hashiri, sorekara ōkina hashi wo watatta.) "The car ran through the night streets and then crossed a big bridge." 52.27 遥は窓の外を見ていたが、それから急に眠くなった。(Haruka wa mado no soto wo mite ita ga, sorekara kyū ni nemuku natta.) "Haruka had been looking out of the window, but then she suddenly grew sleepy." 52.28 目が覚めたとき、それから何分たったのかわからなかった。(Me ga sameta toki, sorekara nanpun tatta no ka wakaranakatta.) "When she woke, she did not know how many minutes had passed since then." 52.29 美咲のマンションの前で車が止まり、それから運転手が静かに「着きましたよ」と言った。(Misaki no manshon no mae de kuruma ga tomari, sorekara untenshu ga shizuka ni "tsukimashita yo" to itta.) "The car stopped in front of Misaki's apartment building, and then the driver said quietly, 'We're here.'" 52.30 遥は料金を払い、それからやっと笑った。(Haruka wa ryōkin wo harai, sorekara yatto waratta.) "Haruka paid the fare, and then, at last, she laughed."
52.16 遥は会社を出て、それから駅へ走った。 52.17 それから改札を抜けると、ホームには誰もいなかった。 52.18 掲示板を見て、それから時計を見た。 52.19 時計は零時五分で、それから終電がもう出てしまったとわかった。 52.20 遥はしばらくベンチに座って、それからスマホで美咲に電話をかけた。 52.21 美咲は三回目のコールで電話に出て、それから眠そうな声で「どうしたの」と言った。 52.22 遥は事情を話し、それから泊めてもらえるか聞いてみた。 52.23 美咲は少し笑って、それから「いいよ、タクシーで来て」と言った。 52.24 遥はタクシーを呼び、それから十分ほどして、黄色い車が駅の前に止まった。 52.25 運転手は「どちらまで」と聞き、それから行き先をカーナビで確かめた。 52.26 車は夜の街を走り、それから大きな橋を渡った。 52.27 遥は窓の外を見ていたが、それから急に眠くなった。 52.28 目が覚めたとき、それから何分たったのかわからなかった。 52.29 美咲のマンションの前で車が止まり、それから運転手が静かに「着きましたよ」と言った。 52.30 遥は料金を払い、それからやっと笑った。
Stem + それから: the clause chain (52.22, 52.24, 52.25, 52.26, 52.29, 52.30). In plain written style the stem of a verb (話し, 呼び, 聞き, 走り, 止まり, 払い) can join clauses on its own, as the て-form does, but with a more literary, narrative sound. Followed by それから, the stem gives the click-by-click sequence of a story.
〜てしまう (52.19). 出てしまった is a て-form plus しまった ("finished, ended up"). It says an action has been completed, often with regret: "it had gone, and that was that." The same thing in English needs "already" and the tone.
〜てもらう and potential 〜える (52.22). 泊めてもらえる is 泊める (to put someone up) + てもらう (to receive the favour of) in the potential: "can I be put up?" 泊めてもらえるか聞いてみた: "asked whether she could be put up." The 〜てみる after 聞いて is "try to": 聞いてみた is "(she) tried asking."
〜を見ていたが (52.27). 見ていた is the 〜ている form in the past, "had been looking." が after a plain past verb is "but" and sets what follows against it: she had been looking out, but then (それから) she grew sleepy.
〜ほどして (52.24). 十分ほどして is "after about ten minutes": ほど (about, approximately), して (the て-form of する). Together with それから it makes それから十分ほどして, "about ten minutes after that." The time word 十分 is read juppun, with the small っ.
で, "by means of" (52.20, 52.25). The particle で marks the instrument: カーナビで確かめた, "checked with the car navigation"; スマホで電話をかけた, "phoned on the smartphone."
それから meaning "since then" inside a question (52.28). それから何分たったのか is "how many minutes had passed since then." The のか is the indirect question: "whether or how ..." わからなかった, "did not know."
Quotations with と. The speech of Misaki and of the driver is quoted with 「…」と言った. The marks 「 」 take the place of quotation marks.
Register in narration and speech. The narrative is in the plain past, while each speaker keeps their own register: the driver, speaking to a passenger he does not know, uses the polite 着きましたよ, and Misaki, speaking to a friend, uses the plain いいよ.
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Japanese has pitch accent, not stress: each word has a pattern of high and low pitch, and the respellings in this lesson give every syllable the same weight. For the pitch pattern of each word, check an accent dictionary such as the NHK 日本語発音アクセント新辞典 as you learn.
それから (sorekara) — IPA: /so.ɾe.ka.ɾa/ — Four morae, each of the same length. The vowels are short and pure: do not let the o glide into "ow" as in English "so." The r is a quick tap of the tongue, close to the d of English "ladder." それからというもの (sorekara to iu mono) — IPA: /so.ɾe.ka.ɾa to jɯː mo.no/ — The iu of と言う is pronounced as a long "yuu": toh yoo. どう (dō) — IPA: /doː/ — A long o, two morae. じゃあ (jā) — IPA: /dʑaː/ — The j is made with the tongue flat against the roof of the mouth; the vowel is long. それでは (sore de wa) — IPA: /so.ɾe.de.wa/ — The は is read wa when it is a particle. その後 (sono go) — IPA: /so.no ɡo/. 今 (ima) and これから (korekara) — /i.ma/, /ko.ɾe.ka.ɾa/ — Compare with Lesson 51. 嵐 (arashi) — IPA: /a.ɾa.ɕi/ — The sh is a soft, hushing sound, tongue flat. 十分 (juppun) — IPA: /dʑip.pɯɴ/ — The small っ doubles the p: a silent beat, then the p. The ふん of 分 becomes ぷん. 終電 (shūden) — IPA: /ɕɯː.deɴ/ — Long ū, then a final ん that is a nasal on its own mora. 郵便局 (yūbinkyoku) — IPA: /jɯː.biɴ.kjo.kɯ/ — The long ū, and the kyo as one syllable: yoo-been-kyoh-koo. 映画 (eiga) — IPA: /eː.ɡa/ — The ei is pronounced as a long e: "ay-gah." 俎下駄 (manaitageta) — IPA: /ma.na.i.ta.ɡe.ta/ — Six morae; every syllable is clear and level. 代助 (Daisuke) — IPA: /da.i.sɯ.ke/ — The u after s is often only whispered, as in です (dess). 遥 (Haruka) and 美咲 (Misaki) — /ha.ɾɯ.ka/, /mi.sa.ki/ — The names of the two women in the story.
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