How to tell them apart
前に follows a dictionary form verb plus 前に or a noun plus の前に and shows the main action happens before the attached event, while てから follows the te form and shows the main action happens after the attached action is completed. In short, 前に looks forward to what comes next and てから looks back at what just finished. For example, 日本へ行く前に勉強する means study before going to Japan, while 日本へ行ってから勉強する means study after going to Japan.
- 前に・まえに Use 前に to do the main action prior to the attached verb or time.
- てから Use てから to do the main action after the attached te form action is completed.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| 前に・まえに ni maeni | Prior to an action or point in time | N5 |
| てから tekara | Once something has been done; the time elapsed since an action | N5 |
前に・まえに ni maeni
Prior to an action or point in time
前に expresses that one event happens before another action or time point. It follows the dictionary form of a verb, as in 食べる前に, or a noun that refers to a time, as in 6時前に. The main clause describes what should be done or what happened earlier, and the verb before 前に is always in the present form even when talking about the past.
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来る前に電話してください。
Please call me before you come.
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６時前には来ないで。
Don't come before six o'clock.
てから tekara
Once something has been done; the time elapsed since an action
てから marks that one action is completed before the next begins, often translated as after doing or since. It attaches to the te-form of a verb, as in 食べてから or 出てから, and is followed by the later action or a time expression like 10年になる. It emphasizes sequence and starting point more strongly than て alone, so avoid using it for unrelated background actions.
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日本を出てから１０年になる。
It has been ten years since I left Japan.
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大学を出てから10年になります。
It is ten years since I left college.
前に・まえに and てから are both JLPT N5 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.