Meaning & Usage
โจ Basic Meaning
Not until X happens; Only after X; For the first time after X.
๐ฏ Primary Function
To emphasize that a realization, knowledge, or new state of being was achieved as a direct result of a preceding action or pivotal experience.
๐ Grammar Structure
Vใฆ + ใฏใใใฆ (hajimete)
(Noun/Verb structure is preferred, not directly applicable to i-adjectives)
(Noun/Verb structure is preferred, not directly applicable to na-adjectives)
(Not commonly used to express an experience that leads to a first-time realization)
๐ญ Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Appropriate in formal writing, speeches, or reports when reflecting on lessons learned.
Informal Situations
Used in storytelling or narrative speech to emphasize a turning point or moment of discovery.
Written Language
Very common in essays, literature, and articles discussing personal growth or life lessons.
Spoken Language
Common in explanatory or reflective conversations.
๐ก Common Applications
Expressing a profound realization or understanding.
Used when a significant experience (Vใฆ) leads to a deep, new realization or appreciation in the resulting clause.
Example: ็
ๆฐใซใชใฃใฆใฏใใใฆใๅฅๅบทใฎใใใใใใ็ฅใฃใใ
Highlighting a necessary precondition for a first-time experience.
Indicates that the consequence (e.g., sense of achievement) was inaccessible until the specific prior action was fully completed.
Example: ๅฏๅฃซๅฑฑใซ็ปใใใฃใฆใฏใใใฆใ้ๆๆใๅณใใใใจใใงใใใ
Comparing theoretical knowledge to practical understanding.
Emphasizes the crucial difference between learning about something and directly experiencing it.
Example: ๅฎ้ใซๅใใฆใฏใใใฆใ็่ซใ ใใงใฏ้็จใใชใใใจใใใใฃใใ
Frequency
Medium-High (Common in essays and reflective speech)
Difficulty
Intermediate (N3/N2)
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
ๅฎ้ใซๆตทๅคใซไฝใใงใฟใฆใฏใใใฆใๆฅๆฌใฎ่ฏใใๅใใฃใใ
Furigana: ใใฃใใใซ ใใใใใซ ใใใงใฟใฆ ใฏใใใฆใใซใปใใฎ ใใใ ใใใฃใใ
Romaji: Jissai ni kaigai ni sunde mite hajimete, Nihon no yosa ga wakatta.
English: Only after actually living abroad did I truly understand the good qualities of Japan.
Example #2
ๅฝผๅฅณใๅคฑใฃใฆใฏใใใฆใ่ชๅใฎ้ใกใซๆฐใฅใใใ
Furigana: ใใฎใใใ ใใใชใฃใฆ ใฏใใใฆใใใถใใฎ ใใใพใกใซ ใใฅใใใ
Romaji: Kanojo o ushinatte hajimete, jibun no ayamachi ni kizuita.
English: Not until I lost her did I realize my own mistake.
Example #3
ๅฏๅฃซๅฑฑใซ็ปใใใฃใฆใฏใใใฆใ้ๆๆใๅณใใใใจใใงใใใ
Furigana: ใตใใใใซ ใฎใผใใใฃใฆ ใฏใใใฆใใใฃใใใใใ ใใใใใใจใ ใงใใใ
Romaji: Fujisan ni noborikitte hajimete, tasseikan o ajiwau koto ga dekita.
English: It was only after finishing the climb up Mt. Fuji that I was able to taste the feeling of accomplishment.
Example #4
ใใฎๆฌใ่ชญใฟ็ตใใฆใฏใใใฆใ็ฉ่ชใฎๆฌๅฝใฎๆๅณใ็่งฃใงใใใ
Furigana: ใใฎ ใปใใ ใใฟใใใฆ ใฏใใใฆใใใฎใใใใฎ ใปใใจใใฎ ใใฟใ ใใใใงใใใ
Romaji: Kono hon o yomioete hajimete, monogatari no hontล no imi ga rikai dekita.
English: Only after finishing this book was I able to understand the true meaning of the story.
Example #5
่ชๅใงไผ็คพใ็ตๅถใใฆใฟใฆใฏใใใฆใ็คพ้ทใฎ่ฆๅดใ่บซใซใใฟใฆๅใใฃใใ
Furigana: ใใถใใง ใใใใใ ใใใใใใฆใฟใฆ ใฏใใใฆใใใใกใใใฎ ใใใใ ใฟใซใใฟใฆ ใใใฃใใ
Romaji: Jibun de kaisha o keiei shite mite hajimete, shachล no kurล ga mi ni shimite wakatta.
English: It was only after trying to manage my own company that I keenly understood the hardships of a president.
Example #6
็
ๆฐใซใชใฃใฆใฏใใใฆใๅฅๅบทใฎใใใใใใ็ฅใฃใใ
Furigana: ใณใใใใซ ใชใฃใฆ ใฏใใใฆใใใใใใฎ ใใใใใใ ใใฃใใ
Romaji: Byลki ni natte hajimete, kenkล no arigatasa o shitta.
English: Only after becoming sick did I realize how precious good health is.
Example #7
ๅฐ้็ใช็ฅ่ญใๅญฆใใงใใฏใใใฆใใฎๆ่กใฎใใใใๅใใฃใใ
Furigana: ใใใใใฆใใช ใกใใใ ใพใชใใงใใฏใใใฆ ใใฎ ใใใ
ใคใฎ ใใใใ ใใใฃใใ
Romaji: Senmonteki na chishiki o manande, hajimete sono gijutsu no sugo-sa ga wakatta.
English: Only after learning specialized knowledge did I realize how amazing that technology is.
Example #8
ไธไบบใงๆ
่กใใฆใฟใฆใฏใใใฆใ่ชๅใฎๅผฑใใซๆฐใฅใใใฎใ ใ
Furigana: ใฒใจใใง ใใใใใใฆใฟใฆ ใฏใใใฆใใใถใใฎ ใใใใซ ใใฅใใใฎใ ใ
Romaji: Hitori de ryokล shite mite hajimete, jibun no yowasa ni kizuku mono da.
English: It is only after traveling alone that one realizes their own weaknesses.
Example #9
ไธก่ฆชใซใชใฃใฆใฏใใใฆใ่ฆชใฎๆฐๆใกใ็่งฃใงใใใใใซใชใฃใใ
Furigana: ใใใใใใซ ใชใฃใฆ ใฏใใใฆใใใใฎ ใใใกใ ใใใใงใใใใใซใชใฃใใ
Romaji: Ryลshin ni natte hajimete, oya no kimochi ga rikai dekiru yล ni natta.
English: Only after becoming a parent myself did I come to understand the feelings of my own parents.
Example #10
ๅณใใ็ทด็ฟใซ่ใใฆใฏใใใฆใ่ฉฆๅใงๅใคๅใณใๅณใใใใ
Furigana: ใใณใใ ใใใใ
ใใซ ใใใฆ ใฏใใใฆใใใใใง ใใค ใใใใณใ ใใใใใใ
Romaji: Kibishii renshลซ ni taete hajimete, shiai de katsu yorokobi o ajiaeru.
English: Only after enduring rigorous practice can one taste the joy of winning a match.
Notes & Nuances
๐ Important Points
The resulting action/state is a *new* discovery.
The result clause (Y) must describe a new state or realization that was not possible or known before the preceding action (X) occurred.
Example: ใใฎไปไบใ่พใใฆใฏใใใฆใๆ้ใฎไฝ่ฃใใงใใใ
Commonly followed by verbs related to realization or understanding.
This pattern is frequently paired with verbs of realization: ใใใ (wakaru), ๆฐใฅใ (kizuku), ็่งฃใงใใ (rikai dekiru), or ็ฅใ (shiru).
Example: ไธก่ฆชใซใชใฃใฆใฏใใใฆใ่ฆชใฎใใใใใฟใ่บซใซใใฟใใ
The preceding experience (Vใฆ) is usually a major turning point.
The verb before ใใฆใฏใใใฆใ often implies a significant, lengthy, or difficult experience (e.g., living abroad, completing a project, losing something important).
Example: ๅฐ้็ใช็ฅ่ญใๅญฆใใงใใฏใใใฆใใฎๆทฑใใๅใใฃใใ
โ ๏ธ Common Mistakes
โ ๆตทๅคใซไฝใใงใฟใฆใฏใใใฆใๆฏๆฅๆฅๆฌ้ฃใไฝใฃใใ
โ
ๅฎ้ใซๆตทๅคใซไฝใใงใฟใฆใฏใใใฆ…
The resulting clause must be about a newly acquired realization or capability (e.g., ‘wakatta’, ‘kizuita’, ‘dekiru yล ni natta’), not a simple resulting action.
โ ๆใ้ฃฏใ้ฃในใฆใฏใใใฆใไปไบใซๅบใใใใ
โ
ใใฎๆ ็ปใ่ฆใฆใฏใใใฆใๅนณๅใฎ้่ฆๆงใ่ใๅงใใใ
Since it means ‘for the first time after X,’ it shouldn’t be used with actions that are routinely or previously performed. The experience must be the *key* to the realization.
โ ๅญฆ็ใงใฏใใใฆใใขใซใใคใใฎ้ฃใใใๅใใฃใใ
โ
Vใฆใฏใใใฆ (e.g., ๅๆฅญใใฆใฏใใใฆ)
ใใฆใฏใใใฆใ is generally only preceded by the ใฆ-form of a verb, marking the completion of the action or experience. Do not attach it directly to nouns or adjectives without a connecting verb.
๐๏ธ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to Formal. The structure itself is functional; the surrounding sentence determines the overall politeness (e.g., using ใงใ/ใพใ).
Social Situations: Often used in contexts of self-reflection (ๅ็, hansei), sharing life wisdom, or philosophical discussion.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese. No significant regional variations in usage.
๐ Subtle Differences
๏ฝใฆใฏใใใฆ vs. ๏ฝใฆใใ (te kara)
ใใฆใใใ simply shows a sequence (X then Y). ใใฆใฏใใใฆใ emphasizes that Y, particularly a new realization, occurred *only* because of X.
When to use: Use ใใฆใฏใใใฆใ when you want to highlight a profound moment of realization caused by a preceding event.
๏ฝใฆใฏใใใฆ vs. ๏ฝใใใจใง (ta ato de)
ใใใใจใงใ is a simple time marker meaning “after X.” ใใฆใฏใใใฆใ is a strong condition marker that establishes X as the indispensable prerequisite for Y.
When to use: Use ใใฆใฏใใใฆใ when the preceding action is a non-negotiable condition for the subsequent discovery or first-time experience.
๏ฝใฆใฏใใใฆ vs. ๏ฝใฆใใใงใชใใจ (te kara de nai to)
Both express necessary conditions. ใใฆใใใงใชใใจใ is generally a negative condition (If not X, then not Y). ใใฆใฏใใใฆใ is a positive statement focusing on the discovery made *after* X.
When to use: Use ใใฆใฏใใใฆใ when focusing on the acquisition of understanding/ability; use ใใฆใใใงใชใใจใ when focusing on an ability that is prohibited until a certain action is done.
๐ Conjugation Notes
The grammar point strictly requires the connecting word to be a verb in the ใฆ-form (Vใฆ), which indicates the completion of the preceding action/condition.
๐ Pronunciation Tips
The particle ใใฆใ should flow smoothly into ใใฏใใใฆใ. The ‘ha’ in ‘hajimete’ is pronounced clearly, unlike some other particles where ‘ha’ becomes ‘wa’.
๐ง Memory Tips
Think of it as Vใฆ (after X) + ใฏใใใฆ (for the first time). The completion of X is the moment the door opens to the new knowledge/reality.
Other Grammar
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