Before/After in Japanese: V (present short) + 前に / V (past short) + 後で

Introduction

Want to say “before I sleep, I brush my teeth” or “after I studied, I came to Japan”? Use these two super-handy patterns:

• V (present short) + 前に = before doing ~
• V (past short) + 後で = after doing ~

These are the standard ways to describe the order of actions in everyday Japanese.

1. Meaning & Core Patterns

• 前まえに attaches to the present short [plain] form of a verb to mean “before doing.”
  • 寝ねる前まえに、歯はを磨みがきます。= I brush my teeth before I go to bed.
• 後あとで follows the past short [plain] form to mean “after doing.”
  • 日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうした後あとで、日本にほんへ来きました。= I came to Japan after I had studied Japanese.

2. How to Form It (watch the verb form!)

Before ~: V (present short) + 前に

For “before doing,” use the present short [plain] form of the verb followed by 前に. Use the dictionary form even if the sentence talks about the past.

• × 食たべた前に… → 〇 食べる前に…
• × 寝ねた前に… → 〇 寝る前に…
• × 日本にほんへ来きた前に… → 〇 日本へ来くる前に…

After ~: V (past short) + 後で

For “after doing,” use the past short [plain] form of the verb followed by 後で. Use the past short even if the overall sentence is about the present/future.

• × 食たべる後で… → 〇 食べた後で…
• × 寝ねる後で… → 〇 寝た後で…
• × 日本にほんへ来くる後で… → 〇 日本へ来きた後で…

3. Examples You’ll Actually Say

寝ねる前まえに、歯はを磨みがきます。
I brush my teeth before going to bed.

ごはんを食たべる前まえに、いただきますと言いいます。
Before eating a meal, we say “Itadakimasu.”

おふろの準備じゅんびをした後あとで、筋きんトレをします。
After preparing the bath, I do strength training.

シャツを着きた後あとで、ネクタイをします。
After I put on my shirt, I put on my tie.

シャワーを浴あびた後あとで、ストレッチをします。
After taking a shower, I do some stretching.

4. Practice Time!

Turn each cue into a sentence with 前に or 後で.

Your turn:

• 顔を洗う → 朝ごはんを食べる
• チケットを買う → 映画館に入る
• 化粧する → 出かける

5. Common Mistakes (and quick fixes)

• ❌ 日本へ来た前に、国で一年勉強しました。
  ✅ 日本へ来る前に、国で一年勉強しました。
• ❌ 一年勉強する後で、日本へ行きます。
  ✅ 一年勉強した後で、日本へ行きます。

For “before doing,” use the present short [plain] form of the verb followed by 前に. Use the dictionary form even if the sentence talks about the past.

For “after doing,” use the past short [plain] form of the verb followed by 後で. Use the past short even if the overall sentence is about the present/future.

6. Related Grammar: V-てから

V-てから also means “after doing,” and often implies the first action is a prerequisite for the second.

歯を磨いてから寝なさい。= Go to bed after you brush your teeth (you can’t go to bed until you’ve brushed).

7. Pro Tip: Using ~no mae ni and ~no ato de with Nouns

You can also use 前 (mae) and 後 (ato) with nouns by adding the particle の (no). This is very common for daily routines and events.

Noun + の + 前に (mae ni): “before [noun]”
食事の前に手を洗います。 (Shokuji no mae ni te o araimasu.)
→ I wash my hands before a meal.

Noun + の + 後で (ato de): “after [noun]”
会議の後で、食事に行きましょう。 (Kaigi no ato de, shokuji ni ikimashou.)
→ Let’s go eat after the meeting.

8. FAQ

Conclusion

You can now:

• ✅ Use V (present short) + 前に for “before ~” (even when talking about past).
• ✅ Use V (past short) + 後で for “after ~” (even when the main clause is present/future).
• ✅ Avoid the classic form slips, and know when V-てから adds a “do X first” flavor.

Write three real sentences about your day using 前に and 後で—once you do, these patterns will start to feel automatic.