Video
Let’s watch this short video for a quick overview.
Source: gokigen japanese official YouTube Channel
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
- 前に attaches to the present short [plain] form of a verb to mean “before doing.”
- 寝る前に、歯を磨きます。= I brush my teeth before I go to bed.
- 後で follows the past short [plain] form to mean “after doing.”
- 日本語を勉強した後で、日本へ来ました。= 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.
- × 食べた前に… → ✅ 食べる前に…
- × 寝た前に… → ✅ 寝る前に…
- × 日本へ来た前に… → ✅ 日本へ来る前に…
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.
- × 食べる後で… → ✅ 食べた後で…
- × 寝る後で… → ✅ 寝た後で…
- × 日本へ来る後で… → ✅ 日本へ来た後で…
Note: The tense of the whole sentence
The verb form before 前に or 後で is fixed by the grammar pattern itself:
- V (dictionary form) + 前に
- V (past short form) + 後で
This does not decide the tense of the whole sentence.
The tense of the whole sentence is determined by the main clause, especially the sentence ending.
| 日本に行く前に、日本語のクラスをとるつもりです。 | 日本に行く前に、日本語を一年間 勉強しました。 |
| Before going to Japan, I plan to take a Japanese class. | Before going to Japan, I studied Japanese for one year. |
| The main clause is non-past, so the whole sentence is about the present/future. | The main clause is past, so the whole sentence is about the past. |
In both sentences, the verb before 前に stays in the dictionary form (行く), but the overall time reference changes depending on the main clause.
Note: Different subjects are also possible
The action before 前に or 後で does not have to have the same subject as the main clause.
When the subject inside the 前に / 後で clause is stated, it is marked with が (NOT は).
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 友だちが遊びに来る前に（私は）部屋を片付けました。 | Before my friend came over, I cleaned my room. |
| 先生が来た後で、授業が始まりました。 | After the teacher came, the class started. |
3. Examples You’ll Actually Say
寝る前に、歯を磨きます。
I brush my teeth before going to bed.
ごはんを食べる前に、いただきますと言います。
Before eating a meal, we say “Itadakimasu.”
おふろの準備をした後で、筋トレをします。
After preparing the bath, I do strength training.
シャツを着た後で、ネクタイをします。
After I put on my shirt, I put on my tie.
シャワーを浴びた後で、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.
| Cue | Example answer | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お祈りする → 寝る | お祈りした後で寝ます。/ 寝る前にお祈りをします。 | I’ll go to sleep after praying. / I say a prayer before going to bed. |
| シャツを着る → ネクタイをする | シャツを着た後で、ネクタイをします。 / ネクタイをする前に、シャツを着ます。 | After putting on the shirt, I put on my tie. / Before putting on a tie, put on a shirt. |
| 準備をする → 出かける | 出かける前に、準備をします。 / 準備をした後で、出かけます。 | Before going out, I prepare. / After preparing, I go out. |
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)
Before Doing
Example: Before coming to Japan, I studied in my home country for a year.
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。
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.
After Doing
After studying for a year, I’m going to Japan.
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 “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. Tip: Using ～の前に and ～の後で 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. Tip: 後で can also mean “later” by itself
後で is also commonly used by itself to mean “later.”
In this use, it does not need a verb or noun before it.
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 後でカフェで会いましょう。 | Let’s meet at a café later. |
| 後で電話します。 | I’ll call you later. |
| この話は後でしましょう。 | Let’s talk about this later. |
However, 前で is not used in the same way to mean “before” or “earlier” by itself.
If you want to say “before that,” Japanese usually uses expressions like その前に.
A: お母さん、ゲームしていい？ = Mom, can I play a game?
B: その前に宿題をしなさい！ = Do your homework first!
FAQ
- QCan I use 前 (mae) and 後 (ato) with nouns, like “before lunch” or “after the meeting”?
- A
Yes, absolutely! This is very common. You simply attach の (no) between the noun and 前 (mae) or 後 (ato).
- 昼食の前に、手を洗います。 (I wash my hands before lunch.)
- 会議の後で、連絡します。 (I’ll contact you after the meeting.)
- QCan 前 (mae) and 後 (ato) be used without に (ni) or で (de)?
- A
Yes, they can. When used without に or で, 前 (mae) and 後 (ato) simply refer to “the time before” or “the time after” as a noun, or function adverbially.
- 日本に来る前、私はブラジルにいました。 (Before coming to Japan, I was in Brazil.)
- 彼の家に着いた後、電話します。 (After arriving at his house, I will call you. – 後 functions adverbially.)
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.
