Breakdown of umi de oyoida ato, syasin wo mimasu.
をwo
direct object particle
でde
location particle
海umi
sea
泳ぐoyogu
to swim
写真syasin
photo
あとato
after
見るmiru
to look at
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Questions & Answers about umi de oyoida ato, syasin wo mimasu.
Why is で used after 海 in 海で泳いだ?
で marks the location where an action takes place. Here, 海で泳いだ means “(I) swam in the sea.” In contrast, に would indicate a destination or point of arrival, so 海に泳いだ is ungrammatical.
What does あと mean in 泳いだあと, and why is it written in hiragana instead of kanji?
あと means “after” when it follows a past-tense verb, creating a time clause (after doing something). It can be written as the kanji 後, but beginner texts often use hiragana to highlight the grammar pattern rather than the character.
Could we say 泳いだあとで写真を見ます instead of 泳いだあと、写真を見ます? What’s the difference?
Yes. 泳いだあとで and 泳いだあと、 both express “after swimming.”
- あとで directly attaches to the verb to form an adverbial phrase.
- あと、 with a comma, simply separates two clauses.
Nuance and meaning are nearly the same; あとで can feel slightly more formal or cohesive.
Can we add に after あと (i.e. 泳いだあとに写真を見ます)? Does that change the meaning?
You can. 泳いだあとに写真を見ます makes the time marker more explicit. It doesn’t change the essential meaning—both versions are common—though adding に can sound a bit more precise or formal.
Why is 泳いだ in the past tense, while 見ます stays in the non-past?
In Japanese, it’s common to use past tense for a completed action (swam) and non-past for the subsequent or habitual action (look at photos). The past-tense clause shows that the swimming is finished before you look at the photos.
What about using 泳いでから instead of 泳いだあと? Are they interchangeable?
They both mean “after doing”, but with a slight nuance:
- ～てから (泳いでから) emphasizes “from the moment you finish swimming.”
- ～たあと (泳いだあと) is a more neutral “after.”
In everyday speech, you’ll often hear them used interchangeably.
Why is there no subject in 海で泳いだあと、写真を見ます? Who is doing these actions?
Japanese often omits the subject when context makes it clear. Here, the speaker (I/we) is implied. To be explicit, you could say 私は海で泳いだあと、写真を見ます.
Why is the object marker を used before 見ます in 写真を見ます?
を marks the direct object of a verb. In 写真を見ます, 写真 (photos) is the thing being seen, so it takes the object marker を. Without を, the sentence would be ungrammatical.