〜以来 irai

〜以来（irai）means “since; ever since”. Marks a past point in time as a starting point, indicating that a state or repeated situation has continued from then up to the present. Formation: V（て形） + 以来 / N + 以来

since; ever since

N2

Formation

V（て形） + 以来 / N + 以来

Explanation

Marks a past point in time as a starting point, indicating that a state or repeated situation has continued from then up to the present. The starting event is a one-time past occurrence, not a future one.

Examples

日本に来て以来、一度も故郷に帰っていない。
にほんにきていらい、いちどもこきょうにかえっていない。
Ever since I came to Japan, I haven't returned home even once.
卒業以来、彼とは一度も会っていない。
そつぎょういらい、かれとはいちどもあっていない。
I haven't seen him even once since graduation.

Note

Refers to a long span up to now; not used for short or trivial intervals. 〜てから is more neutral for ordinary 'after'.

FAQ

〜以来 — what does it mean and how is it used?

since; ever since. Marks a past point in time as a starting point, indicating that a state or repeated situation has continued from then up to the present. The starting event is a one-time past occurrence, not a future one.

〜以来 — how do you form it?

V（て形） + 以来 / N + 以来

〜以来 — any usage notes?

Refers to a long span up to now; not used for short or trivial intervals. 〜てから is more neutral for ordinary 'after'.

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