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

• (Tokyo) から [káꜜrà] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠ɾa̠]

Particle

から • (kara) 

1. (case-marking)
   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. beginning with

      基(き)本(ほん)から始(はじ)める ― kihon kara hajimeru ― begin with the basics

   3. from; beginning with

      Coordinate term: まで (made, “until”)

      １(いち)から９(きゅう)までの数字(すうじ) ― ichi kara kyū made no sūji ― the numbers 1 to 9

      １(いち)から９(きゅう)を使(つか)う ― ichi kara kyū o tsukau ― use the numbers 1 to 9

      東京(とうきょう)から大阪(おおさか)まで ― Tōkyō kara Ōsaka made ― from Tokyo to Osaka

   4. through; via

      窓(まど)から射(さ)す光(ひかり) ― mado kara sasu hikari ― light coming through the window

      • 1914, 夏目漱石 [Natsume Sōseki], chapter 29, in こゝろ [Kokoro], 下 先生と遺書 [Sensei's Testament]:

        私(わたくし)はＫ(ケイ)の頭(あたま)のどこか一(いっ)カ所(しょ)を突(つ)き破(やぶ)って、そこから柔(やわ)らかい空(くう)気(き)を吹(ふ)き込(こ)んでやりたい気(き)がしました。

        Watakushi wa Kei no atama no dokoka ikkasho o tsukiyabutte, soko kara yawarakai kūki o fukikonde yaritai ki ga shimashita.

        I felt like poking a hole somewhere on K's head, so that I could then blow gentle air in through it.

2. (conjunctive)
   1. 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 when it's finished.

   2. 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.

   3. because, (following adjectives and verbs) as a result of; therefore, so

      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?

Etymology 2

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

【空】1 [noun] emptiness (the state of being empty) [prefix] something empty [prefix] ineffectual [prefix] false Alternative spellings カラ, 虚

【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

【伽羅】 [proper noun] (historical) the Gaya confederacy: a grouping of smaller states on the southern end of the Korean peninsula, roughly dating to 42-532 CE Alternative spellings 加羅, 迦羅

(This term, から (kara), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as から, see Category:Japanese kanji read as から.