Translation guide
Expresses that something has been true or has continued from a past point in time up to now. The most common Japanese equivalents are それ以来 and それから, but the best choice depends on the sentence structure and nuance.
それ以来彼に会っていない。
I haven't seen him since then.
Use それ以来 for 'since that event/time' when the focus is on the period after.
それから毎日日本語を勉強している。
Since then, I've been studying Japanese every day.
Use それから for 'after that' in a sequence of events.
Expressing that a state or action has continued from a specific past moment up to the present.
Literally 'since that time'. Used when referring back to a previously mentioned event. Often used with the ～ている form to indicate a continuing state.
彼は卒業してから、それ以来一度も学校に来ていない。
He hasn't come to school even once since he graduated.
あの事故以来、彼女は車を運転していない。
Since that accident, she hasn't driven a car.
Means 'after that' or 'and then'. Used for a sequence of events rather than a continuous state. More casual than それ以来.
Not used for ongoing states; use それ以来 for 'ever since'.
大学を卒業した。それから、東京で就職した。
I graduated from university. After that, I got a job in Tokyo.
Formal/literary 'after that', 'subsequently'. Often used in written narratives or formal speech.
彼は1980年に渡米し、その後消息は不明である。
He went to the US in 1980, and since then his whereabouts have been unknown.
Means 'since then' with a nuance of 'since that (memorable) event'. More emotional or personal than それから.
あれから10年が経った。
Ten years have passed since then.
Pattern meaning 'ever since doing ~'. Used with a verb in て-form to indicate a continuous state after an action.
日本に来てからずっと、このアパートに住んでいる。
Ever since I came to Japan, I've been living in this apartment.
Indicating what happened next in a narrative, without necessarily implying continuation to the present.
The most common way to say 'and then' or 'after that' in a story or sequence.
まず宿題をした。それから、テレビを見た。
First I did my homework. After that, I watched TV.
Formal equivalent of それから, often used in writing.
Can be used for a sequence if the event had lasting consequences, but primarily used for ongoing states.
彼はその日会社を辞めた。それ以来、誰も彼を見かけていない。
He quit the company that day. Since then, no one has seen him.
Using 'since then' with a specific time reference (e.g., 'since 2010', 'since the war').
Attach to a noun or verb to mean 'since ~'. For nouns, use ～以来; for verbs, use ～て以来.
2010年以来、この町の人口は減り続けている。
Since 2010, the population of this town has been decreasing.
彼女に会って以来、人生が変わった。
Since meeting her, my life has changed.
Simple 'since/from' a point in time. More casual than 以来.
先週からずっと雨だ。
It's been raining since last week.
Use それ以来 when the focus is on the period after an event and often implies a continuous state or lasting effect. Use それから when simply listing events in order. それ以来 is more formal and emphatic; それから is neutral and conversational.
それ以来彼とは話していない。
I haven't spoken to him since then. (ongoing state)
それから彼と話した。
After that, I spoke with him. (next action)
Do not translate 'since then' word-for-word as その時から or あの時から unless you are emphasizing the exact moment. These can sound unnatural or overly specific. Use それ以来 or それから instead.
✕ その時から彼に会っていない。
(unnatural literal translation)
○ それ以来彼に会っていない。
I haven't seen him since then.
2015年に彼女と出会って以来、私たちは親友です。
I met her in 2015. Since then, we've been best friends.
彼は去年会社を辞めた。それ以来、私が彼の仕事をしている。
He left the company last year. Since then, I've been doing his job.
高校で日本語を習い始めた。それから、日本に三回行った。
I started learning Japanese in high school. Since then, I've visited Japan three times.
The meeting ended in the morning. After that, we had lunch.