Japanese Lesson 108: Understanding "Ato" - From Time to Quantity

Learn Japanese: Essential JLPT Grammar & Vocabulary | NIHONGO CANDY

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Master one essential Japanese grammar point or vocabulary item in just 6 minutes! Each episode focuses on a practical JLPT N5-N3 level expression that's frequently used in daily conversations and appears on the exam.

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Episode Transcript

(00:02):
こ ん に ち は ウ ェ ル ク の み き で す。 I am a national certified
Japanese language instructor andspecializing teaching Japanese
to global corporate employees today、 we exploring A
fundamental Japanese world that appears constantly in daily
conversation Ato。 this burster word has two
distinct meanings that are essential for natural Japanese

(00:23):
Communication the word Ato can mean after later or。
Afterward、 when referring to time sequences and IT can also
mean more further or another when expressing quantities or
amounts by the end of this episode you understand how to

(00:43):
use Ato confidently in both context making your Japanese
sound more natural and precise？ で は 始 め ま し ょ う。
you're encount to Ato most ofteninto distinct context first。
AS A time expression meaning after later、 or after order、

(01:05):
when describing the sequence of events second AS A quantity
expression meaning more another、or additional when talking about
amounts numbers、 or remaining items AT all is different from
similar Words like solekara、 which specifically means。

(01:26):
and then。 Ato is more casual and versatile
making IT Perfect for everyday conversation let's explore the
first use of Ato when describingsequences of events with clear
examples and patterns、 when describing sequences of events、

(01:46):
you use A pattern event or action の 後 で、 event or action の
後 に meaning。 After event、 or action in this
pattern？ both they and knee are often
interchangeable。 for example、 you can say either

(02:09):
食 事 の 後 で 薬 を 飲 ん で く だ さ い or 食事 の 後 に 薬 を 飲 ん で く だ さ い。
meaning、 please。 take medicine after meals。
you might also say。 ヨ ガ の 後 に シ ャ ワ ー を 浴 び ま す。
meaning I take A shower、 after yoga or 仕 事 の 後 で 買 い 物 を し ま す。

(02:36):
meaning、 I go shopping after work。
this pattern is very useful for describing daily routines、 and
schedules the key point to remember is that with event or
action。 no Ato、 you can use either day
or knee。 And the meaning remains
essentially the same in most context、 the second use of auto

(03:03):
expresses both time periods、 andquantities meaning more another、
additional or in time period when expressing time periods
under something happens、 you useA pattern auto time period the

(03:23):
meaning in。 Time period、 for example、 あ と 十分
で 終 わ り ま す means IT will finishin ten minutes。
you might also hear あ と 一時間 で 大 阪 に 着 き ま す。
meaning we were arriving。 Osaka in an hour or あ と 5分 で 会 議

(03:48):
が 始 ま り ま す。 the meeting will start in five
minutes。 It's important to Note that when
using this pattern Ato、 time period there、 you must use
there、 and cannot replace IT with knee、 for example、 あ と 十分 に

(04:08):
終 わ り ま す。 would be incorrect when
expressing quantities or amountsAto。
typically、 IT comes before numbers with counters for
example。 あ と 三 枚 お 皿 を お 願 い し ま す means
please give ME three more plates、 you might also say あ と

(04:32):
2人 来 ま す meaning、 two more people are coming when talking
about remaining amounts or quantities you can say あ と 少 し で
す。 meaning just A little more or
almost finished。 You met also here、 あ と 半 分 残 っ て

(04:55):
い ま す。 meaning、 half more、 remains or
they're、 still、 half left in shopping or ordering situations、
Ato is very useful for example、 あ と 一 つ、 お し ぼ り を く だ さ い means
please give ME one more wet towel or。

(05:19):
あ と 二 本 ビ ー ル を お 願 い し ま す。 means please bring two more
beers、 when expressing how much more is needed to reach A goal
you can say あ と 1万円 必 要 で す。 meaning、 I need ten、 thousand
again、 more、 or あ と 30 点 で 合 格 です。

(05:44):
meaning、 I need thirty more points to pass。
Understanding which meaning of Ato your encountering depends
heavily on context and the surrounding rummer patterns for
the time expression meaning after look for the pattern now の

(06:04):
後 で、 now の 後 に for the time and quantity expression look for
these patterns Ato time period they。
Or Ato number or amount counter the key is to consider what

(06:26):
follows Ato。 if it's A time expression like
minutes hours or days it's likely the time meaning、 if it's
A quantity、 with counters like my home or nin it's、 A likely
the quantity meaning。 Context is also crucial in

(06:49):
sentences about schedules meetings or sequences of events、
Ato likely means after or later in sentences about shopping
ordering or measuring amounts Ato likely means、 more or
another let's practice。 translating these English

(07:11):
sentences into Japanese using Ato。
I'll Keep you the English sentence then ports for you to
think about IT。 and then share the Japanese
translation、 one I'll call you after work。
仕 事 の 後 で 電 話 し ま す。 仕 事 の 後 で 電 話 し ま す。

(07:42):
two。 The train will arrive in three
minutes。 あ と 3分 で 電 車 が 到 着 し ま す。
あ と 3分 で 電 車 が 到 着 し ま す。 three after eating let S GO for

(08:14):
A work。 食 事 の 後 で 散 歩 し ま し ょ う。
食 事 の 後 で 散 歩 し ま し ょ う。 four how much longer will IT
take to finish this task こ の タ スク を 終 わ ら せ る の に、 あ と ど の く ら い

(08:39):
か か り ま す か？ こ の タ ス ク を 終 わ ら せ る の に、 あ と ど
の く ら い か か り ま す か？ That's all for today's episode 長
く て 退 屈 な ス ピ ー チ を 聞 い た り、 会 議に 出 て い る 時、 あ と 何 分 ぐ ら い で 終 わ

(09:05):
る の か な？ と 考 え て し ま い ま す ね。
そ し て、 こ れ が 終 わ っ た 後 で 何 か 美 味し い も の を 食 べ よ う と 思 う と 元 気 が
出 て き ま す。 今 日 も 日 本 語 キ ャ ン デ ィ を 聞 い て い
た だ い て あ り が と う ご ざ い ま し た。 every find this episode helpful

(09:26):
please、 follow and like your comments are always welcome on
Spotify。 お 疲 れ 様 で し た。
ま た 次 の エ ピ ソ ー ド で お 会 い し ま し ょ う。