Translation guide
Expresses that a state or action has been ongoing from some unspecified point in the past until now. Japanese uses various temporal adverbs and constructions depending on formality and nuance.
Indicate that something has been happening or true since an unspecified earlier time.
Common in casual speech. 'さっき' means 'a little while ago', so this implies 'since a while ago'. Used when the speaker has just noticed or wants to emphasize the ongoing nature.
It's been raining since some time ago.
Polite version of さっきから. Used in formal situations or when speaking to superiors.
I have been waiting since some time ago. (polite)
Literary or old-fashioned. '先刻' means 'a short time ago'. Rarely used in modern conversation.
I had been listening to that story since some time ago.
Express that something has been the case since an indefinite earlier time, often with a sense of 'already'.
Used in storytelling or explanations to set a scene where something has been ongoing.
Can mean 'earlier' or 'previously'. Combined with から, it can imply 'since earlier', but it's more common in written language.
As mentioned earlier, the problem has been ongoing since some time ago.
There is no single Japanese word that directly corresponds to 'since some time ago'. Using a phrase like ある時から (from a certain time) is possible but sounds unnatural in most contexts. Instead, use time adverbs like さっきから or ずっと前から depending on the nuance.
さっきから is casual and common in daily conversation. 先ほどから is its polite equivalent, used in business or formal settings. Both imply the action started a short while ago and continues.
The phone has been ringing since a while ago. (casual)
The phone has been ringing since a while ago. (polite)