919 - ～てからは
JLPT N3: ～てからは (ever since)
In this N5 lesson, we learned that ～てから can be used to express that one action is done after completing another action:
宿題を全部やってから遊びに行きます。
しゅくだい を ぜんぶ やってから あそび に いきます。
I'll go play after I've finished all of my homework.
Literally: "homework + を + all + do (and) + から + playing + に + go."
Later on, in this N4 lesson, we saw that ～てから can also be used to mark the point at which a state, condition, or change begins. In other words, it means "since" or "after:"
ヨガを始めてから、体がやわらかくなった。
ヨガ を はじめてから、 からだ が やわらかく なった。
My body became more flexible after starting yoga.
Literally: “yoga + を + start (and) + から, + body + が + soft + became.”
～てからは, which we're looking at in this lesson, is very similar to the usage of ～てから explored in the N4 lesson mentioned above.
The nuance is just slightly different. This is going to sound like splitting hairs, but...
With ～てから, we are talking about the beginning of a new state, condition, or change, whereas with ～てからは, we are talking about how a certain state or condition has continued ever since a certain action was taken.
We'll often translate ～てからは as "ever since:"
三男が生まれてからは、１度も旅行に行っていません。
さんなん が うまれてからは、 いちど も りょこう に いっていません。
Ever since our third son was born, we haven’t gone on a single vacation.
Literally: “third son + が + born (and) + からは, + once + も + trip + に + haven’t gone.”
Is this making sense?
"My body became more flexible" is a new state/condition that began after "starting yoga."
"We haven't gone on a single vacation" is a state/condition that has continued ever since "our third son was born."
When I try to explain it, I fear it sounds a bit confusing. But if you just think "～てから = after/since" and "～てからは = ever since," you should be fine.
Perhaps this goes without saying, but からは is coming after a verb in the て-form.
In the sentence below, that looks like this:
辞める（やめる // to quit）
↓ ↓
辞めて（やめて // quit [and]）
↓ ↓
辞めてから（やめてから // after quitting; since quitting）
↓ ↓
辞めてからは（やめてからは // ever since [I] quit）
前の仕事を辞めてからは、すこぶる体調がいいです。
まえ の しごと を やめてからは、 すこぶる たいちょう が いい です。
Ever since I quit my last job, I’ve been feeling so much better.
Literally: “before + の + job + を + quit (and) + からは, + extremely + physical condition + が + good + です.”
If you want some more info regarding how ～てからは is different from (the N5) ～てから, then it may help to know that the action coming after ～てから can be completed, but that doesn't work for ～てからは. With ～てからは, we're describing an ongoing or recurring state/action of some kind in the second half of the sentence.
Accordingly, this makes sense:
〇 昼食を食べてから、家に帰りました。
〇 ちゅうしょく を たべてから、 いえ に かえりました。
〇 I went home after eating lunch.
〇 Literally: “lunch + を + eat (and) + から, + house + に + went home.”
But a sentence like the one above doesn't work with ～てからは because the action of 帰りました (かえりました // went home) is completed:
✖ 昼食を食べてからは、家に帰りました。
✖ ちゅうしょく を たべてからは、 いえ に かえりました。
✖ Ever since I ate lunch, I went home.
✖ Literally: “lunch + を + eat (and) + からは, + house + に + went home.”
Instead, we'll have a continuing or recurring state/action of some kind coming after ～てからは, like the recurring action of being excited for summer every year in this sentence:
豊胸手術を受けてからは、毎年夏が楽しみです。
ほうきょう しゅじゅつ を うけてからは、 まいとし なつ が たのしみ です。
Ever since I had breast enlargement surgery, I look forward to summer every year.
Literally: “full breasts + surgery + を + receive (and) + からは, + every year + summer + が + looking forward to + です.”
Similarly, in this next sentence the speaker is describing the ongoing state of not having opportunities to walk anywhere:
ロサンゼルスに来てからは、歩く機会がほとんどありません。
ロサンゼルス に きてからは、 あるく きかい が ほとんど ありません。
Ever since I came to Los Angeles, I hardly ever have any chances to walk anywhere.
Literally: “Los Angeles + に + came (and) + からは, + walk + chance + が + for the most part + don’t have.”
That's all for this one.
In a future JLPT N2 lesson, we'll cover ～て以来 (～ていらい), which has pretty much the same meaning as ～てからは.
And in our very next N3 lesson, we'll look at ～てからでないと, which means something like "not until after."
Complete and Continue
In this N5 lesson, we learned that ～てから can be used to express that one action is done after completing another action:
宿題を全部やってから遊びに行きます。
しゅくだい を ぜんぶ やってから あそび に いきます。
I'll go play after I've finished all of my homework.
Literally: "homework + を + all + do (and) + から + playing + に + go."
Later on, in this N4 lesson, we saw that ～てから can also be used to mark the point at which a state, condition, or change begins. In other words, it means "since" or "after:"
ヨガを始めてから、体がやわらかくなった。
ヨガ を はじめてから、 からだ が やわらかく なった。
My body became more flexible after starting yoga.
Literally: “yoga + を + start (and) + から, + body + が + soft + became.”
～てからは, which we're looking at in this lesson, is very similar to the usage of ～てから explored in the N4 lesson mentioned above.
The nuance is just slightly different. This is going to sound like splitting hairs, but...
With ～てから, we are talking about the beginning of a new state, condition, or change, whereas with ～てからは, we are talking about how a certain state or condition has continued ever since a certain action was taken.
We'll often translate ～てからは as "ever since:"
三男が生まれてからは、１度も旅行に行っていません。
さんなん が うまれてからは、 いちど も りょこう に いっていません。
Ever since our third son was born, we haven’t gone on a single vacation.
Literally: “third son + が + born (and) + からは, + once + も + trip + に + haven’t gone.”
Is this making sense?
"My body became more flexible" is a new state/condition that began after "starting yoga."
"We haven't gone on a single vacation" is a state/condition that has continued ever since "our third son was born."
When I try to explain it, I fear it sounds a bit confusing. But if you just think "～てから = after/since" and "～てからは = ever since," you should be fine.
Perhaps this goes without saying, but からは is coming after a verb in the て-form.
In the sentence below, that looks like this:
辞める（やめる // to quit）
↓ ↓
辞めて（やめて // quit [and]）
↓ ↓
辞めてから（やめてから // after quitting; since quitting）
↓ ↓
辞めてからは（やめてからは // ever since [I] quit）
前の仕事を辞めてからは、すこぶる体調がいいです。
まえ の しごと を やめてからは、 すこぶる たいちょう が いい です。
Ever since I quit my last job, I’ve been feeling so much better.
Literally: “before + の + job + を + quit (and) + からは, + extremely + physical condition + が + good + です.”
If you want some more info regarding how ～てからは is different from (the N5) ～てから, then it may help to know that the action coming after ～てから can be completed, but that doesn't work for ～てからは. With ～てからは, we're describing an ongoing or recurring state/action of some kind in the second half of the sentence.
Accordingly, this makes sense:
〇 昼食を食べてから、家に帰りました。
〇 ちゅうしょく を たべてから、 いえ に かえりました。
〇 I went home after eating lunch.
〇 Literally: “lunch + を + eat (and) + から, + house + に + went home.”
But a sentence like the one above doesn't work with ～てからは because the action of 帰りました (かえりました // went home) is completed:
✖ 昼食を食べてからは、家に帰りました。
✖ ちゅうしょく を たべてからは、 いえ に かえりました。
✖ Ever since I ate lunch, I went home.
✖ Literally: “lunch + を + eat (and) + からは, + house + に + went home.”
Instead, we'll have a continuing or recurring state/action of some kind coming after ～てからは, like the recurring action of being excited for summer every year in this sentence:
豊胸手術を受けてからは、毎年夏が楽しみです。
ほうきょう しゅじゅつ を うけてからは、 まいとし なつ が たのしみ です。
Ever since I had breast enlargement surgery, I look forward to summer every year.
Literally: “full breasts + surgery + を + receive (and) + からは, + every year + summer + が + looking forward to + です.”
Similarly, in this next sentence the speaker is describing the ongoing state of not having opportunities to walk anywhere:
ロサンゼルスに来てからは、歩く機会がほとんどありません。
ロサンゼルス に きてからは、 あるく きかい が ほとんど ありません。
Ever since I came to Los Angeles, I hardly ever have any chances to walk anywhere.
Literally: “Los Angeles + に + came (and) + からは, + walk + chance + が + for the most part + don’t have.”
That's all for this one.
In a future JLPT N2 lesson, we'll cover ～て以来 (～ていらい), which has pretty much the same meaning as ～てからは.
And in our very next N3 lesson, we'll look at ～てからでないと, which means something like "not until after."