The particle から

N から N kara From

から (kara) marks a starting point: a place, a time, or the person something comes from. In English it can be "from", "since" or "starts at".

Level: JLPT N5, beginner
Type: Particles
English links: prepositions of time, for, since and from, present perfect, passive voice

What it means

から marks where something starts. It can be a place (駅から, from the station), a time (九時から, from nine), or a person (母から, from my mother).

It often pairs with まで, the end point: 家から学校まで (from home to school), 九時から五時まで (from nine to five).

から with a time also covers "since". 去年から日本に住んでいます means "I have lived in Japan since last year". Japanese uses the same particle; English changes the word and the tense.

After a full sentence, から means "because". That is a different grammar point, but your students will know both, so be ready for them to mix the two.

How to build it

Pattern	How it works
Place + から place + kara	Starting point of a trip: 駅から歩きます (I walk from the station).
Time + から time + kara	Start time: 九時から (from nine). With ています, it often means "since".
Person + から + もらう / 来る person + kara + morau / kuru	Who something comes from: 母から手紙をもらいました (I got a letter from my mother).
Noun + からです noun + kara desu	Says when something starts: 授業は九時からです (Class starts at nine).

Examples

授業は八時四十五分からです。 jugyou wa hachiji yonjuugofun kara desu. Class starts at 8:45.
家から学校まで自転車で行きます。 ie kara gakkou made jitensha de ikimasu. I ride my bike from home to school.
スミス先生はカナダから来ました。 sumisu-sensei wa kanada kara kimashita. Mr Smith is from Canada.
生徒からカードをもらいました。 seito kara kaado o moraimashita. I got a card from a student.
夏休みは七月二十日からです。 natsuyasumi wa shichigatsu hatsuka kara desu. The summer holidays start on 20 July.

How English says it

"From" works for places and people: "from the station", "a card from a student". For times, English often prefers a verb: "Class starts at nine", not "Class is from nine". "From" is natural with a range: "from nine to five".

When a state started in the past and is still true, English uses "since" with the present perfect: "I have lived here since 2020". For a length of time, it uses "for": "for three years".

For where you are from, English says "I'm from Canada" or "I come from Canada". カナダから来ました is the normal Japanese self-introduction, but "I came from Canada" sounds like a trip you just made.

Why it can make English hard

から covers "from" and "since", so many students say "I live in Japan from 2020". They also need the present perfect, which Japanese does not mark in the same way.
から with a time translates as "from", so students say "The meeting is from four". It is clear, but English usually says "starts at four".
In a Japanese passive sentence, the doer can be marked with から. Some students then write "I was praised from my teacher", where English needs "by".
から after a sentence means "because". Students who know both meanings can mix them up when they read English.

Mistakes you will hear

I live in Japan from 2020. I have lived in Japan since 2020. 2020年から日本に住んでいます. English needs "since" and the present perfect.
The meeting is from 4 o'clock. The meeting starts at 4 o'clock. 会議は四時からです. Understandable, but English prefers "starts at".
I came from Osaka. I'm from Osaka. 大阪から来ました is a normal self-introduction. In English, "came from" sounds like a journey.
I was scolded from my teacher. I was scolded by my teacher. Japanese can mark the doer with から. The English passive uses "by".

In the classroom

Draw a timeline. Put "from" at a start point with an arrow to an end point. Put "since" at a start point with an arrow to "now". Ask students which one fits each sentence.
Use the school timetable. Students read it aloud: "First period starts at 8:50 and finishes at 9:40", then "First period is from 8:50 to 9:40".
In self-introductions, drill "I'm from ..." until it is automatic. It replaces "I came from ..." very quickly.

Practice

Try each one, then open it to check.

1. Fill the gap: 東京＿大阪まで新幹線で行きます。 (I go from Tokyo to Osaka by shinkansen.)

Answer: から

Tokyo is the starting point, and まで marks the end.
2. Fill the gap: 友達＿メールが来ました。 (I got an email from a friend.)

Answer: から

から marks the person the email comes from.
3. Translate: テストは十時からです。

Answer: The test starts at ten.

English usually says when something starts with "starts at", not "is from".
4. A student writes "I study English from three years ago." Fix it.

Answer: I have studied English for three years.

三年前から勉強しています is a state that is still true. English uses the present perfect with "for" and a length of time.