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TE-form verb + KARA (Lesson 44)

In Lesson 16, you learned to express more than one action in one sentence by linking the TE-form of verbs. If you add the particle KARA (after), after the TE-form of verbs, you can make it clear that you did the action that comes before KARA first, and then, the action that comes after it. This way, you can emphasize the order of actions. In the skit, it is important that you first "eat Japanese cakes," WAGASHI O TABEMASU, and then, "you drink powdered green tea," MACCHA O NOMIMASU. So, you change the first verb to the TE-form, and add KARA to it. And you say WAGASHI O TABETE KARA, MACCHA O NOMIMASU (After you eat Japanese cakes, you drink powdered green tea).

You can also use KARA, when you answer a question. Suppose you are asked, "When are you going to eat lunch?" and you answer, "After I'm finished my studying." "Study" is BENKYÔ. "To be over" is OWARIMASU. Its TE-form is OWATTE. And "to eat" is TABEMASU. So, you say BENKYÔ GA OWATTE KARA TABEMASU.
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