JLPT N2Spoken and written

て以い来らい・てこのかたever since

"Ever since": from that point right up to now, something has stayed the same, kept happening, or not happened once.

卒そつ業ぎょうして以い来らい、彼かれとは一いち度ども会あっていない。

I haven't seen him once since graduation.

子こどもが生うまれて以い来らい、毎まい晩ばん寝ねる前まえに日にっ記きをつけている。

Ever since my child was born, I have kept a diary every night before bed.

How to form it

Verb in the て-form + 以来／Noun + 以来

入にゅう社しゃして以い来らい, or just 入にゅう社しゃ以い来らい. No の after the noun.

Before it: The starting point, some time back: 卒そつ業ぎょうして, 日本にほんに来きて, 入にゅう社しゃ, 震しん災さい, それ.
After it: How things have been the whole time since: 〜ている, 〜ていない, 〜てきた, often with ずっと or 一いち度ども.
Where you'll meet it: Writing and careful speech. In casual talk people mostly say てから, though それ以い来らい ("since then") and 〜以い来らいだ are common everywhere.

In use

新あたらしい薬くすりを飲のみ始はじめて以い来らい、体たい調ちょうは安あん定ていしている。

My condition has been stable ever since I started taking the new medicine.

この店みせは開かい店てん以い来らい、地ち域いきの人ひと々びとに親したしまれている。

This shop has been a local favorite ever since it opened.

A noun, with no の.

それ以い来らい、彼かの女じょとは話はなしていない。

I haven't spoken to her since.

彼かれに会あうのは卒そつ業ぎょう以い来らいだ。

This is the first time I've seen him since graduation.

以い来らいだ ends a sentence: the first time since.

Two things to know

The whole time since, not one thing afterward

What follows covers the whole stretch from then until now. One thing that happened at some point afterward takes てから.

Not said: 日本にほんに来きて以い来らい、富ふ士じ山さんに登のぼりました。

(I climbed Mt Fuji after I came to Japan.)

日本にほんに来きてから、富ふ士じ山さんに登のぼりました.

Not for something that just happened

It looks back over a stretch of time, so after さっき it sounds odd.

Sounds odd: さっき薬くすりを飲のんで以い来らい、ずっと眠ねむい。

I've been sleepy ever since I took my medicine a little while ago.

さっき薬くすりを飲のんでから.

てこのかた

てこのかた means the same and sounds old-fashioned. You will mostly meet it in 生うまれてこのかた, "in all my life".

生うまれてこのかた、一いち度ども入にゅう院いんしたことがない。

I have never once been in the hospital in my life.

Close neighbours

てからN5

The everyday "after" and "since". It takes anything: one later event, something recent, or the whole time since.

結けっ婚こんしてから、家いえを買かいました。

We bought a house after we got married.

たきりN3

Did it once, and what you would expect next never came.

彼かの女じょは三さん年ねん前まえに故ふる郷さとを出でたきり、一いち度ども戻もどっていない。

She left her hometown three years ago and hasn't been back once.

てからというものN1

"Ever since", with feeling: life has been quite different from that day on.

犬いぬを飼かい始はじめてからというもの、朝あさの散さん歩ぽが一いち日にちの楽たのしみになった。

Ever since I got a dog, the morning walk has been the best part of my day.

Check yourself

1Which sentence sounds natural?

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

さっき駅えきに着つい（　　）、ずっと友ともだちを待まっている。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

父ちちが退たい職しょくして以い来らい、朝あさは二人ふたりで散さん歩ぽしている。

Ever since my father retired, the two of us have been going for a walk in the mornings.

震しん災さい以い来らい、この地ち域いきでは毎まい年とし防ぼう災さい訓くん練れんが行おこなわれている。

Since the earthquake, disaster drills have been held in this area every year.

入にゅう社しゃ以い来らい、同おなじ研けん究きゅうチームで働はたらいている。

I have worked on the same research team ever since I joined the company.

三さん十じゅう年ねん前まえにこの町まちへ移うつって以い来らい、近きん所じょの人ひとたちに支ささえられてきた。

Ever since I moved to this town thirty years ago, my neighbors have been there for me.

研けん究きゅうを始はじめて以い来らい、この疑ぎ問もんがずっと頭あたまから離はなれない。

Ever since I began this research, I haven't been able to get this question out of my head.