How to say 'when', 'before', 'after', 'while', 'until' and 'as soon as'. These words attach to a clause the way a noun attaches to a describing clause.
About 6 minutes to read
Time clauses use the same trick as describing clauses: a plain-form clause comes first, then a noun that says what time it is. You already know how it works.
とき: when
Clause + とき (時: "time") means "when / at the time that".
日本Japanに行くgoときwhen写真photosを撮るtake
I take photos when I go to Japan.
子供childのときwhenよく泣いたcried
I cried a lot when I was a child.
Tense inside the とき clause tells you whether the action is still ahead or already done:
Meaning
日本に行くとき
when (I'm about to) go
日本に行ったとき
when I went / have gone
家homeを出るleaveときwhen鍵keyを閉めるlock
I lock up when I leave the house (as I'm leaving).
家homeを出たleftときwhen雨rainが降っていたwas falling
It was raining when I left the house.
まえ and あと: before and after
Dictionary form + まえに = before doing.
寝るsleep前にbefore歯teethを磨くbrush
I brush my teeth before I go to bed.
Past form + あとで = after having done.
ご飯mealを食べたate後でafter散歩walkする
I take a walk after I've eaten.
The verb before まえに is always dictionary form, even if the sentence is about the past. The verb before あとで is always past form. Notice how the verb tells you which comes first.
てから: after, and only then
て-form + から says one thing happens after another, and carries the idea of "once that's done".
手handsを洗ってwashからafter食べるeat
I eat after washing my hands.
Compared to あとで, てから is stricter about the sequence: this first, and then the next.
ながら: while doing (two things at once)
Polite stem + ながら says that one person does two things at the same time. The main action is the second verb.
音楽musicを聞きlistenながらwhile勉強するstudy
I study while listening to music.
歩きwalkながらwhile食べるeatのは良くgoodない
Eating while walking isn't good.
The same person does both. If different people do things at once, use 間に / あいだ.
あいだ and うちに
あいだ ("interval") is "while / during", and うちに means "while it's still the case, before it changes".
うちに carries advice or urgency: do it before it's too late.
ばかり: just done
Past form + ばかり means "has just done".
今now起きたwoke upばかりjustです
I've just woken up.
まで and までに
Both mean "until", with a key difference:
Meaning
Example
まで
up to a time, the action continues until then
五時まで待つ (wait until five)
までに
by a time, at some point before it
五時までに来る (come by five)
五時five o'clockまでuntil働くwork
I work until five.
五時five o'clockまでにby終わらせるfinishつもりintend
I intend to finish by five.
If the action lasts the whole time, まで. If it happens once at some point before the deadline, までに.
Longer sentences
Time clauses nest inside each other. Read the order of events from the verbs.
私がI大学にuniversity入る前にbefore entering母はmother長い間for a long time働いていたがwas working, but卒業した後でafter I graduated仕事をwork辞めてquit and今はnow毎日every day庭でin the garden花をflowers育てながらwhile raising暮らしているlives
My mother had been working for a long time before I entered university, but after I graduated she quit, and now she lives raising flowers in the garden every day.
駅にstation着いたarrivedとたんthe instant雨がrain降り出しbegan to fall、傘をumbrella忘れたforgotことにthe fact気づいたnoticedのでso雨がrain止むまでuntil it stopped待つことにしたdecided to wait
The moment I reached the station it began to rain, and when I noticed I'd forgotten my umbrella, I decided to wait until the rain stopped.
Procedure in time clauses
野菜をvegetables洗ってからafter washing切りcut and油がoil熱くなるまでuntil it gets hot待ってくださいplease wait
油がoil熱くなったらonce it's hot野菜をvegetables入れてput in and焦げないようにso as not to burnかき混ぜながらstirring炒めますstir-fry
火がheat通ったところでat the point it has cooked through塩をsalt加えadd and味をtaste見てからafter checking皿にonto a plate盛りますserve
Wash the vegetables, then cut them, and wait until the oil is hot.
When the oil is hot, add the vegetables and stir-fry them, stirring so they don't burn.
When they are cooked through, add salt, check the taste, and then serve on a plate.