Japanese word

以来

Pronunciation

Romajiirai

Meaning

  • nounsince

Example

去年以来、ここに住んでいます。kyo nen i rai ko ko ni su n de i ma su

I have lived here since last year.

Illustration for 以来 (since)

More examples

新しい先生が来て以来、教室が明るくなりました。atara shi i sen sei ga ki te i rai kyō shitsu ga aka ru ku na ri ma shi ta

Since the new teacher came, the classroom has become brighter.

大学を卒業して以来、父の会社で働いています。dai gaku o sotsu gyō shi te i rai chichi no gai sha de hatara i te i ma su

Since graduating from college, I have worked at my father's company.

Core concept

Marks a stated time as the point from which a situation continues or a later sequence is viewed.

Common phrases

  • 入学以来nyū gaku i rai

    since entering school

  • それ以来so re i rai

    since then

Similar words

以後igo: Refers to the time after a stated point or event, including the period that follows it.
以降ikō: Marks the time from a stated point onward, including later dates or periods.

Definition in Japanese

ある時点を起点として、その後ずっと続くこと。また、その時点より後。a ru ji ten o ki ten to shi te so no ato zu tto tsuzu ku ko to ma ta so no ji ten yo ri ato

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 以来 (irai, "since; thereafter") combines 以 (i, "from") and 来 (rai, "come"), expressing time onward from a stated point.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English "since," 以来 (irai) is used for time rather than a reason and commonly follows a past time or event.

Other meanings

  • thereafteradverb

Word lists with this word