それから（それから、sorekara）
- after that

The Japanese word それから [それから] is a versatile conjunction and adverb primarily meaning "then," "after that," "and then," "afterwards," or "next." It indicates a sequence of events or actions, often adding a further point to a previous statement or introducing a new idea related to what has already been mentioned. It can also function to extend a story or conversation by indicating the continuation of actions or adding supplementary information.

⚫︎朝ご飯を食べました。それから、学校に行きました。 Translation: I ate breakfast. Then/After that, I went to school. ⚫︎この本は面白いです。それから、写真もたくさんあります。 Translation: This book is interesting. And then, there are many photos as well. ⚫︎旅行に行きました。それから、お土産を買いました。 Translation: I went on a trip. Afterwards, I bought souvenirs.

⚫︎ それから [それから] is typically used to connect two clauses, indicating a subsequent action or thought. ⚫︎ It can be placed at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a new idea, or in the middle to show the sequence of events. ⚫︎ It's very common in both spoken and written Japanese. ⚫︎ It's often used when listing things or providing a series of instructions. ⚫︎ それから [それから] is a softer and more common way to say "and then" compared to a word like そして, which can sometimes sound a bit more formal.

⚫︎ それから [それから] is written in hiragana. ⚫︎ The word is usually not written in kanji. The kanji form would be 其れから, but it's rarely used. ⚫︎ The okurigana (the hiragana following the kanji) is consistent: から.

⚫︎ そして (soshite) - "And then," "and" (more formal) ⚫︎ そのあと (sono ato) - "After that," "then" ⚫︎ 次に (tsugi ni) - "Next," "then" ⚫︎ その後 (sono go) - "After that" ⚫︎ それから is often the most common and versatile choice.

⚫︎ There isn't a direct antonym. However, to indicate the opposite sequence of events, you would rephrase the sentence structure and use words that signal "before" or "first."

宿題をしました。それから、友達と遊びに行きました。 ・Translation: I did my homework. Then, I went to play with my friends. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates a clear sequence of events: completing the homework first, followed by playing with friends.

映画を見ました。それから、晩ご飯を食べました。 ・Translation: I watched a movie. And then, I ate dinner. ・Explanation: This sentence uses それから [それから] to connect two separate actions, creating a simple narrative of what the speaker did.

⚫︎ それ (sore) means "that" and is a demonstrative word. ⚫︎ から (kara) means "from," "because," "since," or can denote a "cause" or "reason." In the case of それから, it signifies "from that," or "after that." ⚫︎ This composition indicates a transition in time or thought, a continuation of something that was mentioned previously.