〜以来

While から can mean 'since', 以来 specifically denotes a continuous state or action *from* a past point. から is more general for 'from' a starting point.

以後 means 'from now on' or 'after a certain point', focusing on what happens *after*. 以来 emphasizes continuation *from* a past point.

後 is a general 'after' or 'later'. 以来 is specific to 'since' a past event, with an implication of continuity.

Many students confuse 以来 with other time-related expressions. Also, it's often used as a suffix, which can be tricky to grasp for English speakers.

以来 specifically means 'since' a particular point in time or event, indicating that something has continued from that point. It emphasizes duration from a past event. It is also often used as a suffix.

彼が日本に来て以来、日本語が上手になった。(Kare ga Nihon ni kite irai, Nihongo ga jouzu ni natta.) - Since he came to Japan, his Japanese has improved.

Like 以来, から can also mean 'since' or 'from'. The nuance can be subtle.

から often indicates a starting point in time or location. While it can mean 'since', it doesn't carry the same strong implication of continuous action or state from that point as 以来. It's more versatile and can be used for origins.

朝から雨が降っている。(Asa kara ame ga futte iru.) - It's been raining since morning.

Both 以来 and 以後 translate to 'since' or 'after', making them sound very similar.

以後 means 'from now on' or 'after a certain point'. It focuses on actions or states that occur *after* that point, without necessarily implying a continuation *from* that point. It's more about the future or a post-event period. Unlike 以来, it doesn't always imply a continuous state or action.

明日以後、この図書館は閉館です。(Ashita igo, kono toshokan wa heikan desu.) - This library will be closed from tomorrow onwards.

The usage as a suffix can be particularly confusing for learners who are used to standalone words.

When used as a suffix, 以来 attaches directly to a noun or verb phrase to signify 'since that time/event'. This grammatical construction is less common in English with a single word equivalent.

卒業以来、彼に会っていない。(Sotsugyou irai, kare ni atte inai.) - I haven't seen him since graduation.

後 simply means 'after', which can sometimes overlap with the meaning of 以来.

後 is a general term for 'after' or 'later'. It doesn't carry the strong nuance of 'since' a specific past event leading to a continuous state, as 以来 does. It can refer to a general sequence of events.

ご飯の後、散歩に行こう。(Gohan no ato, sanpo ni ikou.) - Let's go for a walk after dinner.