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zinzya wo deta ato, syasin wo torimasita.

神社じんじゃ　を　出でた　あと、　写真しゃしん　を　撮とりました。zinzya wo deta ato, syasin wo torimasita.
After leaving the shrine, I took photos.
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Questions & Answers about zinzya wo deta ato, syasin wo torimasita.

Why is を used with 出る after 神社 when 出る is usually intransitive?

In Japanese, some intransitive motion verbs like 出る can take を to mark the point of departure or boundary being crossed. For example:

  • 家を出る (to leave home)
  • 部屋を出る (to exit the room)
  • バスを降りる (to get off the bus)

Here, 神社を出る means “to exit the shrine,” and を indicates 神社 as the place where the action starts.

What is the function of 出たあと in this sentence?

出たあと is a noun phrase meaning “after having left.” It’s formed by:

  1. The plain past form of the verb (出た from 出る)
  2. Plus あと, which turns that verb phrase into an adverbial time expression

Thus, 神社を出たあと literally means “the time after (we) left the shrine,” marking when the next action (写真を撮りました) took place.

Why is あと written in hiragana instead of the kanji 後?

When あと follows a verb to indicate “after doing,” it is normally written in hiragana. The general guideline is:

  • Write あと in hiragana after verb phrases (e.g., 食べたあと)
  • Reserve the kanji 後 for nouns or set expressions (e.g., 午後, 朝後)

This keeps the verb+あと construction clear and easy to read.

Why is the verb 出た in its plain past form rather than the polite 出ました?

Subordinate clauses (like temporal clauses) in Japanese use the plain form regardless of the overall politeness level. The main clause determines the sentence’s politeness:

  • Dependent clause: 神社を出たあと (plain past)
  • Main clause: 写真を撮りました (polite past)

Even in polite speech, the clause before a comma or conjunction typically stays in plain form.

Could I say 神社を出てから写真を撮りました instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, 出てから (te-form + から) is another way to say “after leaving.” Both patterns convey sequence:

  • 出たあと = “after having left” (focuses on the time following the action)
  • 出てから = “once/after leaving” (emphasizes that the next action happened immediately afterward)

They’re largely interchangeable in everyday use, with only a slight nuance.

Why is there a comma after あと?
The comma separates the dependent temporal clause (神社を出たあと) from the main clause (写真を撮りました). Japanese often uses commas (読点) to clarify where a modifier or subordinate clause ends before the main verb.
Why is 写真を撮りました in the polite form while the first clause is plain?
Politeness is signaled by the main (independent) clause’s verb form. Subordinate clauses use the plain form by default. Here, the speaker wants a polite tone for the main action, so they use the polite past tense 撮りました, while the dependent clause remains in plain form.
What would the sentence mean if I reversed the clauses to 写真を撮ったあと、神社を出ました?
Reversing the clauses changes the sequence of events. 写真を撮ったあと、神社を出ました means “After taking photos, we left the shrine.” In the original sentence, the photos are taken after leaving; reversing it means you left after taking the photos.