GrammarJLPT N5
→ after that
And Then / After That
JLPT N5ConjunctionNeutral
それから is a conjunctive expression used to connect two sentences or clauses, indicating that one event or action follows another in time, or that an additional item is being listed. It translates naturally as "and then" or "after that" when describing a sequence of events, and as "and also" or "in addition" when listing things. Unlike そして, which is a more general-purpose "and" that can connect sentences without implying temporal sequence, それから more strongly suggests chronological order or the addition of another item to a list. Compared to その後 ("after that"), それから is lighter and more conversational, while その後 tends to appear in more formal or written contexts and emphasizes the time gap between events more explicitly. それから is one of the first conjunctions learners encounter and is extremely versatile in everyday conversation.
Functions
#1 Indicating temporal sequence
Structure
Sentence A。それから、Sentence B。
朝ごはんを食べました。それから、学校に行きました。
Here それから connects two past events in chronological order: eating breakfast happened first, and going to school happened afterward. This is the most common usage of それから, where it functions as a temporal connector meaning "and then" or "after that," clearly signaling that the second action follows the first in time.I ate breakfast. And then, I went to school.
Structures
- Connecting sentences
- Sentence A。それから、Sentence B。
- Listing items
- Item A と Item B、それから Item C
Common mistakes
A common mistake is confusing それから with それで. While both connect sentences, それで implies a cause-and-effect relationship ("and so" / "therefore"), whereas それから indicates sequence or addition without implying causation. Another frequent error is overusing それから repeatedly in a single narrative, such as saying それから between every sentence, which sounds unnatural and repetitive; varying connectors with そして, 次に, or the て-form of verbs is more natural. Learners also sometimes confuse それから with その後, but その後 is more formal and emphasizes a longer time gap, while それから is lighter and works for both immediate and general sequences.
Related
そしてその後それで次にと