After I: ～あと, ～のち, & ～てから
The English word “after” is used to indicate a state or action that occurs once an aforementioned state/action has ended. English also has other words for this, including “once” and “afterward.”
Japanese is no different, and in this lesson, we will learn about three separate patterns which share the basic meaning of “after.” To properly understand this lesson, you will first need to have fully reviewed the coverage on non-deictic time as well as grammar regarding “when” and “before.”
The Noun 後
The dictionary translation of the word “after” in Japanese is あと. This word has several kanji spellings: 後, 跡, or 痕. The noun itself is the same word, but each respective kanji spelling represents a separate nuance.
When thought of as a physical entity, it bears the meaning “mark/trace/sign.” In this sense, it is spelled as 跡. As an extension, a mark on the body (scar) is represented by 痕.
1. アレクサンドロス大王は、ペルシャ軍の後を追いかけた。
Alexander the Great chased after the Persian army.
2. 探査機がきょう、火星に河原の跡を発見した。
A space probe, today, discovered the remains of a riverbed on Mars.
3. 頬に茶色い痕が残っている。
There is a brown scar/mark left on (my/the) cheek.
4. もう後戻りできない。
There’s no turning back now.
This sense of “mark” can also be interpreted as “aftermath” or the “rest” of some matter.
5. 後のことは任せてね。
Leave the rest to me.
6 後（の）始末をつける。(Set Phrase)
To settle affairs.
7. 彼は、カミングアウトのダメージが今も後を引いていて未だに凹んでいるようだ。
The damage of coming out is having lingering effects on him even now, and he still seems to be depressed.
As indicated from Ex. 1, it is possible to translate the physical sense of 後 as “after” in the sense of “back.” This meaning overlaps somewhat with the location word 後ろ, which uses the same kanji. Whereas あと refers to the direction facing someone’s back, 後ろ may also refer to “backside” or “rear (part).” あと in this sense does not refer to a part, only focusing on direction.
8a. 8号車の後の車両に乗る。
To ride in the train car [after/to the back of] Car #8.
8b. 8号車の後ろの車両に乗る。
To ride in the train car [behind/to the [back/rear] of] Car #8.
From this sense of “after,” indicating what comes next in a series is another crucial meaning of the physical sense of 後. By extension, other meanings such as “successor/descendant” are derived.
9. 後から後から問題が出てきている。
Problems are occurring one after another.
10. お後は何にいたしましょうか。
What will you be having next/after?
11. お父さんの後を継いで医者になることを誓った。
I vowed to follow in my father’s footsteps to become a doctor.
12. 国が滅亡して後が絶えてしまった。
The nation collapsed and its descendants died out.
13. レストランをあとにしてホテルに戻りました。
(I/we) left the restaurant behind, then returned to (my/our) hotel.
At this point, you may be able to tell how the physical meanings of 後 bleed into a temporal interpretation of “after.” In this temporal sense, 後 refers to a point in time after a certain point.
14. その後の状況はどうなのでしょうか。
How about the situation after(ward)?
15. 後で後悔する。
To regret afterward.
16. YouTube放送の後でふしぎなおくりものが配信されるらしいよ。
It seems there’s going to be a mystery gift distributed after the YouTube broadcast.
～あと
When the temporal ～後 is used with verbs, the sentence usually contains two clauses. In the first clause marked by 後, there is Verb 1 (V1), and in the second/main clause, there is a separate action and/or state that follows.
Just as how dependent clauses (the first clause) with ～前に (before) are restricted to the non-past tense, ～あと must have its dependent clause be in the past tense, and because the word itself can be literally defined as a “time after a certain point (in context),” it is also generally ungrammatical with the past progressive/perfect aspect ～ていた1.
Though particle usage with ～あと follows the same conventions as with any other non-deictic time phrase, its meaning of “after,” and to what degree one defines that time period does result in the four following patterns:
・V1 + ～たあと ∅ (No Particle)
・V1 + ～たあとに
・V1 + ～たあとから
・V1 + ～たあとで
V1 + ～たあと ∅ (No Particle)
The most common particle to follow ～あと is no particle at all. In this situation, Action B happens “after” Action A, but any other information such as how far afterward it occurred in relation to Action A is not inferred. However, you may find adverbial particles such as は or も accompanying to provide contrast or emphasis to the content of the dependent clause with the content of the main clause.
17. しばらくギリシャにいた後、トルコへ渡った。
After being in Greece for a while, I crossed over to Turkey.
18. 県外に引っ越した後は、友人と会う機会が減ってきている。
After having moved out of the prefecture, my chances to meet friends have decreased.
19. 歯を磨いた後はすぐ寝ます。
I go right to sleep after I brush my teeth.
20. 働いた後や勉強した後はカラオケ！
Karaoke after working or studying!
21. 勉強したあとは、疲れて何もできない。(〇～X)
After studying, I’m tired and can’t do anything.
Ex. 21 is ungrammatical to some speakers as being unable to do anything due to studying is not plausible, especially when the duration of studying is presumed short lived without further explanation.
22. 豪雨（の・で被災した）後も復旧して営業し続けている。
Even after (being victim of) the torrential rain, (they) restored and are continuing to operate.
Ex. 22 indicates how the particle の can be used in lieu of V1, which follows the same principle we noticed with ～とき and noun-predicates. This is also made possible by how の in these contexts behaves parallel to how the 連体形 of verbs work. This principle also affects the other structures in this lesson.
23. 昨日は授業の後、家に帰らないで映画を観に行った。
Yesterday I went to see a movie instead of going home after class.
24. 学校のあと、ふと眩暈がした。
I felt dizzy all of a sudden after school.
V1 + ～たあとに
In this scenario, V1 (Action A) ends and what is left is the immediate act of Action B or a resultant State B. When the main clause pertains to a state, the physical nuance of 後 can often also be felt.
25. 僕は食べた後に歯を磨いた。
I brushed my teeth (right) after I ate.
26. 友達が帰った後には、ゴミがたくさん落ちていた。(あと → Spatial/Temporal)
There was a lot of trash dropped after my friends went home.
27. 花が咲いた後に、実ができて、その中に種ができる。
After a flower blooms, a fruit forms, and inside that seeds form.
28. 卒業（を）した後に、仕事を探します。
After graduating, I’ll look for a job.
29. 子供が寝た後に、映画を見ました。
I watched a movie after my child went to bed.
30. 昼ご飯の後に、その町を見物しました。
We went sightseeing in the town after lunch.
It is also possible to see ～あとには and ～あとにも. ～あとには emphasizes that Action B/State B occurs right after Action A, while ～後にも emphasizes that Action B/State B occurs even after Action A.
31. 嵐の後には凪がくる。
After a storm comes a calm.
32. その後にもバイトがある。
I have my part-time job even after then.
V1 + ～たあとから
“V1 + ～たあとから” indicates that though Action A has ended, an unexpected Situation B occurs following it. The role of the particle から is to indicate the onset of that following scenario.
33. 手術をしたあとから痛みが強いです。
My pain is strong after having surgery.
34. 子供が帰ったあとからはま～るい大きなお月様!
And once the children have gone home, the round, big moon comes out!
From the lyrics of 『夕焼け小焼け』.
V1 + ～たあとで
Unlike the previous patterns, “V1 + ～たあとで” has a more peculiar definition. Upon “Action A ending, the agent goes on to do Action B,” but as for how long until Action B will occur, that is up in the air.
35. この捜査が終わったあとで、話しましょう。
Let’s talk afterwards when this investigation is over.
Consider what the temporal dynamic of で implies. Action B is a situation that will occur once Action A ends, but the talk (Action B) might not be something that ought to be dealt with immediately afterward. Perhaps, there are outstanding factors both individuals wish to handle that predicate that their talk be after the investigation is over but sometime in the near future that is necessarily NOT immediately after the investigation.
At any rate, Action A must be completed. If the action is not truly over, the sentence will be ungrammatical.
36a. 百貨店があった後で、駅ができた。X
36b. 百貨店｛があった・の｝後に、駅ができた。〇
A train station was built where a department store had been.
Ex. 36a is ungrammatical because ある is existential, and because the particle に should be used instead of で as it indicates both location of existence and absolute time, both things which で does not.
It is possible for temporal 後 to be at the end of a sentence, and for that clause to then be rendered in the て-form. Such sentences are not examples of this pattern.
37. 結果が分かるのは、調査の後で、・・・
We’ll know the results after the investigation, and so…
～後に
～後に is the Sino-Japanese equivalent of ～あとに, and it exclusively attaches to temporal and/or action-related nouns, especially those involving operations and movement.
With temporal nouns of duration, its use is both commonplace and grammatically required, translating as “later/from now.” The temporal noun, being adverbial in nature, functions solely as an adverb upon being paired with ～後に. Note that it may be more natural to use phrases other than “later” when translating into English.
38. 2週間後に帰ります。
I’ll return [in two weeks/two weeks later].
39. 一ヶ月後に出国します。
I will be leaving the country in a month from now.
40. 三時間後に石破総理大臣は成田空港に到着します。
Prime Minister Ishiba will arrive in Narita Airport in 3 hours.
It is also possible to see ～のあとに after temporal nouns, as it is the native equivalent of ～後に. As to why a speaker would choose one over the other when both are used in the spoken language, ～のあとに does not pertain to operations.
41. 発熱一週間のあとに嗅覚障害が発生した。
Impaired smell developed after a week of the onset of fever.
When ～後に is paired after non-temporal, adverbial nouns, the resulting phrase is always formal and indicative of the written language. Compare the following iterations:
42a. 多くの女性は帰宅後にメイクを落とす。 （Literary language）
42b. 多くの女性は帰宅したあとにメイクを落とす。（Formal tone）
42c. 多くの女性は帰ったあとにメイクを落とす。(Spoken language）
Many women remove their make up after returning home.
43a. 食後に薬を飲む。（Literary Language）
43b. 食べたあとに薬を飲む。
To take medicine after a meal.
後 may also be read as ご in the conjunction その後 meaning “thereafter.” Of course, you may still see this read as そのあと, which translates best as “afterwards/after that.” There is even the variant その後 (see below), which is most synonymous with そのあと but with a far more literary tone.
44. 大規模な原発事故が発生し、その後100年間にわたって除染作業が行われてきた。
A large-scale nuclear disaster occurred, and for 100 years thereafter, decontamination work has been carried out.
45. そのあとはまだ決めてないよ！
I haven’t decided what to do after that!
46. そののち、イエスはガリラヤを巡回しておられた。
After this, Jesus went about in Galilee.
From John 7:1.
～てから
～てから is another way of expressing “after” in Japanese, but unlike ～あと which emphasizes that V1 has come to completion, ～てから places emphasis on V2 starting once V1 occurs.
This does not mean that V1 has to be over for the sentence to be valid; rather, V1 helps establish the starting point for V2, and whether V1 is over or not depends on how the sequence of events would naturally occur. Moreover, V1 must be a purposeful act by the agent (a restriction which ～あと does not have). Furthermore, V2 cannot be instantaneous as “onset” implies a duration.
Similarly to ～あと, ～てから ought never be paired with the progressive tense marker ～ている—～ていてから X—as V1‘s role is to function as the starting point for V2, and how long V1 is ongoing is not at play.
47. 夕食を食べてから寝る前の時間が長すぎる。
The time before I go to bed after eating dinner is too long.
48. 別れてから会っていない。
I have not met her since we split up.
49. 私は勉強を始めてから、多くのことを学びました。
I have learned a lot of things since I started studying.
50. よく考えてから答えます。
I will answer after some thought.
Perhaps the largest difference between ～あと and ～てから is that the latter often means “since” because of how it denotes the onset of V2, especially when V2 has a significant duration. How V1 and V2 may relate in this sense can vary, but what is certain is that ～てから denotes setting the stage for V2 to commence, whether it be in response to V1, the start of a change set off by V1, a reaction to V1, or the next step to V1. None of these applications can be expressed with ～あと.
51. 日本に来てからもう10年になります。
It has already been ten years since I came to Japan.
52. 日本に来てからずっと日本語の勉強をしています。
I have been studying Japanese ever since I came to Japan.
53. 高校を卒業してから、大学に行かないで仕事をする人も多い。
There are also a lot of people that work instead of going to college after graduating high school.
54. 入ってから出るまで、怖かった。
I was scared from when I entered until I left.
55. 仕事を始めてから半年は大変でした。
It was tough for a good half a year upon having started the job.
56. 結婚してから毎日五時半には帰っています。
Since being married, I’ve been coming home every day at 5:30.
When V2 is a continuation of what V1 starts but requires that V1 also be fully in place, ～てから may also translate as “upon.”
57. 担任の先生の印鑑をもらってから、身分証明書と一緒に事務室に提出してください。
Upon receiving your homeroom teacher’s stamp, please submit it along with your ID to the office.
Other particles such as は and の may follow ～てから as is the case with the other phrases for “after.” It may even be used as the main clause when followed by the copula (Ex. 58).
58. 庶民が弁当やお酒を持ってお花見に繰り出したのは、江戸時代に入ってからだ。
The flocking of commoners en masse to see the cherry blossoms with bento and sake in hand was a thing since the Edo Period.
59. むしろ、寝る前に食べて寝ての2起きてからの胃もたれがひどかった。
If anything, the upset stomach I had after waking up from having eaten before bed then slept (right after) was horrible.
While there are situations when ～後 and ～てから are interchangeable, this does not mean they are synonymous or both plausible in a given sentence.
60. 買い物を｛してから・した後（に ◎・で 〇）｝映画を見ました。
I watched a movie after shopping.
61. 切符を買っ｛てから 〇・た後に 〇・た後で △｝ポケットの中に入れた。
After I bought the ticket, I put it inside my pocket.
Grammar Note: ～後で is unnatural because Action B happens right after Action A as a consequence of it. The same problem exists for Ex. 62.
62. ちょっと口をすすい｛でから 〇 ・だ後に 〇・だ後で △｝歯を磨く。
To brush one’s teeth after rinsing one’s mouth a little.
In the next two sentences, we find that ～後 is ungrammatical when ～ない is used with Action/State B when the meaning of “since” is intended. This is because ～てから sets the onset time for which the unrealization of V2 holds true.
63. 卒業し｛てから 〇・た後 X｝、彼には会っていない。
I have not met with him since graduating.
64. 秋が来｛てから 〇・た後 X｝ 、急に人通りが少なくなった。
Street traffic suddenly got deserted since fall came.
To summarize in one sentence as to how ～てから differs with any iteration of ～あと, what happens after V1 with ～あと does not actually have anything to do with V2 actually starting, but the same cannot be said of the relationship between V1 and V2 with ～てから.
This statement is especially true when ～てから translates as “once,” which occurs when V2 is a future event. In this situation ～あと could never be used because V1 has not even happened yet either, defeating its literal definition.
65. 冬休みになってからスペインに帰ります。
Once it’s (become) winter break, I’ll return home to Spain.
～のち
If one were to define the exact nuance of ～たのち（に）・～てのち（に） as opposed to its ～あと counterparts, it would be that Action B simply occurs sometime after Action A has ended.
後 may also be read as のち, which has a separate etymology than あと, often providing the sense of “the future/after death” in a sophisticated tone. Particle usage with のち follows the norms of any other non-deictic phrase, but because of its formal tone, に is seldom seen after it, though, of course, not ungrammatical. Otherwise, you may see it paired with の when used as an attribute in phrases such as in のちの世 (future life).
66. それをずっとのちに知りました。
I knew of that long afterwards.
As for how のち relates to verbal morphology, it can be seen both after the auxiliary verb ～た and even after the conjunctive particle て. In modern usage, the distinctions traditionally had between ～たのち and ～てのち have essentially disappeared. However, in complex sentences with multiple clauses, V1 of ～たのち will correspond to the final/main clause, while the V1 of ～てのち will correspond with the onset of the next clause (much like ～てから).
67. 大学を卒業した後、演劇界に入った。
After graduating, I entered the world of theater.
68. 斃れて後已む。(Proverb)
Only once one has fallen will one pass over.
Given how のち is more formal, you will often hear it in the news, especially in abbreviated speech perfect for weather summaries. You will also frequently hear the expression のちほど, which is the formal equivalent of あとで.
69. 晴れのち曇り (Abbreviated Speech)
Clear skies; cloudy later
70. 後ほどメールで送ります。
I will e-mail (it) (to you) later.
- Rare examples of speakers using ～ていたあと may be observed with durational verbs such as 座る (to sit) or 飼う (to raise (an animal)). However, in all instances, ～た後 is most natural. This is because ～た後 denotes when V1 concludes or is complete, and the aspect of V1 is irrelevant to the onset of V2. As to why ～ていた後 does not appear even when V1 spans a lengthy period of time, even in situations in which the speaker directly experiences the action, grammatical redundancy from ～た being capable of indicating that the effect of V1 may still be felt upon completion of the action in question is to blame, making it a one-size-fits all aspect marker in this environment. ↩︎
- This use of ～ての indicates that 寝る前に食べること is the means by which the 胃もたれ occurs, then 起きてからの is an additional modifier indicating when exactly the 胃もたれ occurs. ↩︎