(Ever) Since: ～てからというもの, ～て以来, & ～てこのかた
In this lesson, we will direct our focus to three fairly nuanced means of expressing “since”: ～てからというもの（は）, ～て以来, and ～てこのかた.
～てからというもの（は）
In the pattern “Situation A + ～てからというもの（は） Situation B,” ever since Situation A has occurred, Situation B remains to be the case. With this pattern, neither Situation A nor Situation B may refer to something that began in the recent past, and it is more often the case than not that Situation B implies a less than positive outlook for those involved. Given its added layer of nuance, it is not used nearly as often in the spoken language in casual settings (Ex. 5) in which cases ～てから alone may suffice.
1. ギリシャに来てからというもの、国の家族のことを思わない日はありません。
Ever since I’ve come to Greece, there has not been a day where I don’t think of my family at home.
2. ドル安の問題は深刻である。今年度になってからというもの、ドル安（の）傾向は進む一方である。
The weak dollar is a serious problem. This trend will continue onward through this fiscal year and beyond.
3. このタブレット端末を使ってからというもの、手放せなくなった。
Ever since using this tablet, I have not been able to let go of it.
4. 冒険に出かけてからというもの、お前がおかしくなり始めた。
Ever since you’ve been going out on adventurers, you’ve begun to act all weird.
5. ラファエル君は、一人暮らしをしてから（というもの）、ずっとカップ麺とか安物ばっかり食べてるな。
Ever since living by himself, Rafael-kun sure has just been eating cheap things like instant noodles.
In sentence/clause-initial position, we find that ～てから can be replaced with a temporal noun pertaining to duration. Compare this to when a temporal noun pertaining to duration occurs after the pattern so long as ～てからというもの appears in full (see below with Ex. 23).
6. 今年は、とりわけ干ばつが長引き、ここ一か月というもの、火事などが大暴れをして、各地に大きな被害をもたらしている。
As for this year, drought has especially prolonged, and in this month, wild fires and such have raged on and continued to bring great damage everywhere.
Nowadays, there is a growing minority of speakers treating ～てからというもの as a wordier, more emphatic version of ～てから. Thus, the implication behind that “emphasis” may vary in severity (positive or negative outlook) among speakers.
7. 先月、競馬で大穴を当ててからというもの、何であれ、勝ちに勝ちまくっているそうだ。（△）
Ever since winning big last month in the horse races, I hear that he’s raking in the wins no matter what the game is.
8. 大学生になってからというもの、毎日が楽しい。（△）
Ever since becoming a college student, everyday is fun.
9. タバコをやめてからというもの、とても体調が良くなっている（△）
Ever since quitting smoking, my health has been much better.
10. タバコをやめてから、ずっと調子がいい。◎
Ever since quitting smoking, my health has been good.
Though fairly uncommon, something that can occur with ～てからというもの but not with the other patterns showcased in this lesson is its topicalization via the addition of the particle は. This adds a fairly complex wrench to how the outlook on Situation B is perceived, as Situation A is now highlighted as the impetus for Situation B. Situation A could still very well be a pivotal event, one that might not have been so pleasant, but the focus placed on it now defines precisely why Situation B remains to be the case. Thus, with emphasis so strongly placed on Situation A, the emotional appeal of Situation B is entirely consequential to Situation A, yes, but not the true focus, allowing for it to be a “positive” change.
11. 遼平が落第してからというものは、今までにも増して勉強した。
Ever since Ryohei failed a grade, he has studied harder than ever before.
12. その昔に人殺しがあってからというものは、そこに泊まれば、たいてい良からぬことが起こった。
Ever since a murder took place there long ago, something untoward would almost invariably happen to anyone who stayed the night there.
～て以来
Similarly, with the pattern “Situation A + ～て以来 + Situation B,” ever since Situation A has occurred, Situation B remains to be the case. However, ～て以来 generally implies a positive/neutral evaluation of Situation B, but it is not limited to such evaluations. In fact, even though ～てからというもの is not always appropriate with positive outlooks, outlooks on a whole with ～て以来 are typically stated without any particular emotional appeal. In any event, Situation A constitutes a major turning point, just as is the case with ～てからというもの.
Now, as far as the temporal dynamics surrounding Situation B, like we see in Ex. 13, Situation B can be a statement for what has happened since Situation A so long as there is the understanding that it will continue, making ～て以来 highly synonymous with ～てから but with a formal flare. Consequently, in such environments, Situation A sounds less consequential more so than it sounds like a juncture in time being highlighted.
13. 東大に入学して｛以来・から｝、すでに１年（が）過ぎ｛ている・た1｝。
Since entering Tokyo University, one year has already passed.
Thus, whether ～て以来 translates to “ever since” or just “since” will be determined by how Situation B is phrased. If Situation A is consequential and emotional “can” be read into the situation, then the inclusion of “ever” in its translation becomes more warranted.
14. 弟が生まれて以来、お母さんは弟にかかりっきり。
(Ever) since my little brother was born, my mom has been spending all her time and energy on him.
Something that ～以来 can do which ～からというもの is directly follow nouns. Such nouns will always pertain to a situation/event. This is equivalent to how からというもの can follow temporal nouns of duration, but for the duration to be specifically denoted with ～以来, it would have to appear after it.
15. あの事故以来、セスさんは一切運転しなくなった。
Ever since that accident, Seth-san stopped driving entirely.
16. お分かりの通り、それ以来、私はこんな状態です。
As you can tell, ever since then, I’ve been this way as you see me now.
17. おお、セス君、久しぶり！卒業以来じゃない！
Oh, hey there, Seth-kun! Long time no see! (I believe this is the first time we’ve seen each other) since graduation, yeah?!
In completely neutral environments, ～以来 may appear after temporal nouns in an adjectival capacity, in which case the resultant phrase function as a no-adjective.
18. 両国の直接協議はロシアの侵略直後の2022年3月以来だ。
Direct talks between the two countries mark the first such engagement since March 2022, immediately following Russia’s invasion.
19.ドルの反発は、2022年以来の安値となった1月の損失を巻き戻す形で、ここ数週間続いている傾向を反映しています。
The dollar’s rebound reflects a trend that has persisted over the past few weeks, effectively reversing the losses incurred in January—a month in which the currency hit its lowest level since 2022.
Although now having largely fallen out of use, 以来 may also be used as a sentence-initial conjunction meaning “henceforth.” However, this meaning has largely been taken over by 以後.
20. ｛以来・以後｝、気をつけたまえ。
Be careful, henceforth.
Interchangeability
In the following examples, ～てから, ～てからというもの, and ～て以来 are more or less interchangeable with practically no impact on how they are translated into English. All three structures are ungrammatical with Situation B as an instantaneous verb, and all three structures may allow for a negative evaluation of Situation B.
21. この夏の検査で、進行膵臓癌と診断されて｛から・からというもの・以来｝、明日にでも死ぬかのような恐怖に囚われている。
Ever since being diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer in this summer’s scan, I have been entrapped by the fear of maybe dying at morning’s wake.
22. 就職して15年、部長になって｛から・からというもの・以来｝、ほとんど毎晩のように残業で遅くなり、目に見えて顔色が悪くなっている。
Since becoming the department head after working for 15 years, he has been late almost every night it seems due to overtime, and his complexion has visibly worsened.
23. 武山美砂子15歳のときからずっと付き合っていた恋人と失恋して｛から・からというもの・以来｝、食事も喉を通らなくなって、窶れ果てて、見る影もなくなってしまった。
Misako Takeyama couldn’t put down food and withered down to the point of leaving a mere shadow of her former self ever since being lovelorn with her partner she had been with since the age of 15.
24. 愛犬を亡くして｛から・からというもの・以来｝、すっかり元気をなくし、人が変わったようになってしまった。
Since losing (his) beloved dog, (he) has lost all vitality, (his) entire persona altered.
Though Situation B has its limitations, there is historically no problem in changing up Situation B after the fact. For this to work for both ～てからというもの and ～て以来, a temporal noun pertaining to duration must be affixed to them. Then, the speaker may qualify afterward how things are holding up now.
25. セスさんは、愛犬を亡くして｛から・以来｝3年というもの、人が変わったようになっていたが、最近、少し元気を取り戻しつつあるようだ。
It seemed as though Seth-san’s personality had shifted drastically since his dear dog died three years ago, but as of late, he seems to be regaining his vitality.
～てこのかた
Rather than putting emphasis on Situation A being a major turning point, what if you wish to place emphasis on the time that has elapsed since, a.k.a, the duration of Situation B? Just as you can say “in all the time between Situation A and now (Situation B),” the pattern ～てこのかた can fill this role, with このかた2. Despite its unique nuancing, this pattern is relegated largely to somewhat stiff written language.
26. 東京の夜景の写真を見てこのかた、いつかは来日して自分の目で見てみたいなあと、ずっと思い続けてきました。
Ever since I first saw photographs of Tokyo’s nightscape, I have constantly harbored the dream of one day visiting Japan to see it with my own eyes.
27. 生まれてこのかた、この町を出たことが一度もありません。
I have never once left this town since I was born.
このかた may also be affixed to a temporal noun of duration.
28. 10年このかた、両親には会っていません。
I haven’t seen my parents in ten years.
- As 過ぎる is not an “instantaneous” verb, the use of ～た may be viewed as being largely interchangeable with ～ている, as there is already an implication that time will continue to pass, granted that the turning point established by Situation A will continue to define the reality of the speaker. ↩︎
- このかた, when spelled in kanji as 此の方, represents a presently felt temporal grounding in the now. ↩︎