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JLPT N5 · Time & sequence

それから (sore kara)

それから — “and then / after that”

In short · それから links two sentences in time order: ‘After that, …’. It is used to describe actions in sequence, such as a daily routine, and can also add one more item to a list. It stands at the beginning of the next sentence.
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Pattern

  • 文１。それから、文２。 Sentence 1. それから, sentence 2 (next in time)

Meaning

それ means ‘that’ (the previous action) and から means ‘from’. Together it is ‘from that point on’: first A happened, then B.

Use in routines

It is perfect for talking about a day: 朝ご飯を食べました。それから学校へ行きました。You can chain it with a series: first, それから, 最後に.

Compared with てから

てから joins two actions inside one sentence (食べてから行く). それから starts a new sentence. They express the same order, but それから is stand-alone and a bit more flexible.

Examples

  • 朝（あさ）ご飯（はん）を食（た）べました。それから学校（がっこう）へ行（い）きました。

    Asagohan o tabemashita. Sorekara gakkō e ikimashita.

    I ate breakfast. After that, I went to school.

    Two actions in order.

  • 顔（かお）を洗（あら）いました。それから歯（は）を磨（みが）きました。

    Kao o araimashita. Sorekara ha o migakimashita.

    I washed my face. And then I brushed my teeth.

    A morning routine.

  • 買（か）い物（もの）をしました。それから家（いえ）に帰（かえ）りました。

    Kaimono o shimashita. Sorekara ie ni kaerimashita.

    I went shopping. After that, I went home.

    Tense stays the same in both sentences.

Common mistakes

  • それから is for things in order. To add an extra quality, use そして instead.
  • Don't confuse the sentence-starting それから with the in-sentence てから.

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