The core meaning
日本に来て以来、毎日日本語を使っています means the daily use started after arriving and has continued. The first event is a turning point, not just any date in a calendar. The following clause often names an ongoing habit, state or absence, including a negative such as 会っていません. In past narration, the continuation can extend up to a later past reference point instead of today.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 日本に来て以来、毎日日本語を使っています。 | Nihon ni kite irai, mainichi Nihongo o tsukatte imasu. | Since coming to Japan, I've used Japanese every day. |
| 卒業して以来、彼に会っていません。 | Sotsugyō shite irai, kare ni atte imasen. | I haven't seen him since graduating. |
How to form it
Use verb て form plus 以来: 卒業する → 卒業して以来. After a noun, add 以来 directly: 卒業以来. Do not use た form before 以来. The expression is common in writing and careful speech; てから can sound lighter in casual conversation.
| Use | Japanese form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Verb event | 引っ越して以来 | Since moving |
| Noun event | 卒業以来 | Since graduation |
Natural examples
Read each sentence for the relationship between the first idea and the second. The English translation gives a natural meaning, while the Japanese wording shows exactly where the pattern attaches.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 引っ越して以来、歩いて通勤しています。 | Hikkoshite irai, aruite tsūkin shite imasu. | Since moving, I've walked to work. |
| あの失敗以来、必ず確認するようにしています。 | Ano shippai irai, kanarazu kakunin suru yō ni shite imasu. | Since that mistake, I've made a point of always checking. |
Compare the nearby pattern
から can mark a starting point of time without insisting on continuity from a meaningful event: 九時から働いています. 以降 means from a time or event onward, often in instructions or records. 以来 is particularly natural when the speaker reflects on a sustained change since an experience.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 九時から働いています。 | Ku-ji kara hataraite imasu. | I've been working since nine. |
| 入社して以来、このチームで働いています。 | Nyūsha shite irai, kono chīmu de hataraite imasu. | I've worked on this team since joining the company. |
The two examples may describe similar situations, but they lead the listener to different conclusions. Choose the form that matches the claim you really intend to make.
Common mistake to avoid
Do not use て以来 for a single completed event that happened later. 入社して以来、昨日会議に出ました sounds mismatched if the meeting is the only result. Say 入社してから、昨日初めて会議に出ました instead, or describe a continuing pattern.
- A significant first event starts an interval
- Use verb て form + 以来
- The next clause usually describes a continuing state
- Noun + 以来 is also possible
Try it yourself
Name a move, graduation, new job or discovery that changed a habit. Say the event with て以来 and describe what has continued. If nothing continued, rewrite the sentence with てから.
Say your sentence once slowly while looking at the Japanese pattern. Then say it again without reading. If your second clause changes from a possibility to a fact, or from advice to a requirement, revise it so the grammar still matches your meaning.