〜て以来: 'Ever Since...' (Meaning + Examples)
Marking the turning point
〜て以来 says that ever since a specific one-time event, a new situation has held continuously up to the present. The main clause is almost always a continuing state — something ongoing, or something that has never happened again since.
やったんは日本に来て以来、毎日が楽しい。
やったんは にほんに きて いらい、まいにちが たのしい。
Ever since Yattan came to Japan, every day has been fun.
来て以来 marks the turning point; 毎日が楽しい is the continuing result.
もちは海外に引っ越して以来、一度も帰国していない。
もちは かいがいに ひっこして いらい、いちども きこくしていない。
Ever since Mochi moved abroad, he hasn't returned to his home country even once.
A continuing negative: 一度も〜していない pairs naturally with て以来.
社長が代わって以来、会社の雰囲気が変わった。
しゃちょうが かわって いらい、かいしゃの ふんいきが かわった。
Ever since the president changed, the mood at the company has changed.
Form: Verb-て + 以来
以来 attaches directly after a verb's て-form. It doesn't take negative or adjective forms — the event marked must be something that happened, once, at a clear point in time.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (て-form) | Vて + 以来 | 卒業して以来 (ever since graduating) |
| Verb (て-form) | Vて + 以来 | 結婚して以来 (ever since getting married) |
彼女と知り合って以来、人生が変わった。
かのじょと しりあって いらい、じんせいが かわった。
Ever since I got to know her, my life has changed.
Sharper than 〜てから
Learners often confuse て以来 with the simpler 〜てから ("after doing"). てから is neutral — it can introduce any sequence, one-time or repeatable ("After I eat, I'll call you"). て以来 is stricter: it only fits when the change is lasting and still true now, and it leans formal/written. You can't naturally say 昼ご飯を食べて以来、宿題をする ("after eating lunch I'll do homework") — there's no lasting state being measured, so てから is the only option there.
The short version
- Vて + 以来 = "ever since..." — a one-time event followed by a continuing state.
- Attaches to: the て-form of a verb describing a single, identifiable turning point.
- Nuance/register: fairly formal; the main clause is usually continuous, often 一度も〜ていない.
- Don't confuse with: 〜てから, which is neutral and works for any sequence, not just lasting change.
Practice it
Choose て以来 when the sentence describes a state that has continued unbroken since a turning point.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
＿＿＿、毎日が楽しい。
Where 〜て以来 fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
More N2 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜と同時に — 〜と同時に attaches to a plain-form verb or noun to mean 'at the same time as / as soon as' — ベルが鳴ると同時に生徒が出た. It links two events happening simultaneously, or one triggering the other instantly.
- 〜ところだった — 〜ところだった means something almost happened but was narrowly avoided — 'I was just about to / I almost did.' It attaches to the dictionary form of a verb and often follows a close call like あぶない or もう少しで.
- つい — つい is an adverb meaning 'unintentionally / before I knew it' — it describes an action that slipped out despite the speaker's intentions, or a habitual slip. Common with speaking, eating, and other hard-to-control impulses.
- 〜は別として — 〜は別として means 'setting X aside' or 'apart from X' — it brackets off one topic as a separate matter so the speaker can address something more pressing, without denying the bracketed topic's importance.
- 〜はもとより — 〜はもとより means 'not to mention X, Y too' — it names an obviously-true first case and then emphasizes that an even more surprising or extended second case also holds, similar to 'let alone' but adding rather than negating.
- 〜はともかく — 〜はともかく means 'leaving X aside' or 'whether or not X' — it sets one topic apart as not the main point right now, so attention can shift to something more relevant, without judging the set-aside topic.