から

See also: がら

Japanese

Etymology 1

From Old Japanese 柄 (kara, “origin, source”), from Proto-Japonic *kara. Cognate with Miyako から (kara), Okinawan から (kara).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ka̠ɾa̠]

Particle

から • (kara) 

1. from, out of

   東(とう)京(きょう)から帰(かえ)った。

   Tōkyō kara kaetta.

   He returned from Tokyo.

   ずっと前(まえ)からの話(はなし)

   zutto mae kara no hanashi

   a conversation from way back

   地(ち)下(か)室(しつ)からのふしぎな旅(たび)

   chikashitsu kara no fushigi na tabi

   a mysterious journey (starting) from the basement

2. after (following て-form verbs)

   終(お)わってから、来(き)てください。

   Owatte kara, kite kudasai.

   Please come by after finishing [after you've finished].

3. since (following て-form verbs)

   東(とう)京(きょう)に住(す)んでいてから、日(に)本(ほん)語(ご)を流(りゅう)暢(ちょう)に話(はな)します。

   Tōkyō ni sunde ite kara, nihongo o ryūchō ni hanashimasu.

   Since living in Tokyo, I speak Japanese fluently.

4. because (following adjectives and verbs)

   Synonym: (Chūgoku, Shikoku, Kyūshū) けん (ken)

   肉(にく)を食(た)べないから、ラーメンは駄(だ)目(め)だ。

   Niku o tabenai kara, rāmen wa dame da.

   Because he doesn't eat meat, ramen is a bad idea.

   私(わたし)がいるから心(しん)配(ぱい)ないでしょう？

   Watashi ga iru kara shinpai nai deshō?

   Because I'm here, there's no need to worry, right?

5. beginning with

   基(き)本(ほん)から始(はじ)める

   kihon kara hajimeru

   begin with the basics

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of から – see the following entries.

【空】1 [prefix] something empty [prefix] ineffectual [prefix] false 【殻】S [noun] shell, crust, chaff [noun] husk, hull 【唐】S [prefix] element in compounds, referring to things imported from China or from other foreign lands [noun] foreign lands in general [noun] Short for 唐織り (karaori): silk fabrics imported from China; an exquisitely-embroidered woman's kimono; a costume made in the karaori style used in Noh theater [proper noun] (formal, dated) the name of China during the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE). 【漢】3 [prefix] element in compounds, referring to things imported from China or Korea, or from other foreign lands [noun] (historical) shortly before and during the Edo period, foreign lands in general [proper noun] the Gaya confederacy [proper noun] (archaic) the Korean peninsula [proper noun] (archaic) China, especially during the Han dynasty

(This term, から, is an alternative spelling of the above terms. For a list of all kanji read as から, not just those used in Japanese terms, see Category:Japanese kanji read as から.)