kanozyo ha kotowatta ato mo, tomodati wo kinisite ita.

Even after declining, she was still concerned about her friend.

Breakdown of kanozyo ha kotowatta ato mo, tomodati wo kinisite ita.

• は: topic particle
• を: direct object particle
• 友とも達だち: friend
• あと: after
• 〜て いる: progressive form
• 〜た: past tense
• も: even
• 彼女かのじょ: she
• 断ことわる: to refuse; to decline
• 気き に する: to care about; to be concerned about

Questions & Answers about kanozyo ha kotowatta ato mo, tomodati wo kinisite ita.

What does the part 断ったあと mean and how is “after doing X” formed?

• あと is a noun meaning “after.”
• Attach it to the plain past (た-form) of a verb: V-た + あと (で) = “after doing X.”
• Example: 食べたあと(で)帰る = “I’ll go home after eating.”
• Here, 断ったあと = “after (she) refused.”

Why is there も after あと? Does it mean “also”?

• Here も is concessive: “even.” So 断ったあとも = “even after (she) refused.”
• Without も it’s just neutral “after (she) refused.” With も it implies that in spite of that, something still happened.

Should it be あと, あとで, or あとに? And are あとでも/あとにも okay?

• All of these are grammatical with minimal difference:
  • V-たあと, V-たあとで, V-たあとに
  • With “even,” you can say V-たあとも / あとでも / あとにも.
• Nuance: で is very common/colloquial; に can feel a bit more formal or time-point-like. Meaning is the same here.

Why is it 友達を気にしていた? Could it be 友達が気になっていた?

• 気にする is transitive: X を気にする = “to worry about/mind/be concerned about X.”
• 気になる is intransitive: X が気になる = “X is on one’s mind/bothers you/is of concern (involuntarily).”
• So:
  • 友達を気にしていた = She was actively worrying about/caring about her friend(s).
  • 友達が気になっていた = Her friend(s) were on her mind (more spontaneous/less volitional).

Is it more natural to say 友達のことを気にしていた?

• Very common and natural with people: N のことを気にする.
• 友達を気にしていた is acceptable, but 友達のことを気にしていた often sounds smoother and clearly means “about her friend(s).”

What nuance does 〜ていた add in 気にしていた?

• 〜ていた describes a continuing state or repeated action in the past.
• With mental-state verbs, it means “was (still) concerned/kept being concerned.”
• 気にした (simple past) feels like a one-off act and is rarely used that way.

How is 断った formed and pronounced?

• Dictionary form: 断る (ことわる), a godan (u-verb).
• Past plain: final る (u-row) → った: 断った (ことわった).
• It typically takes the thing refused with を; the person can appear with に (e.g., 彼の誘いを断った, optionally understood as directed 彼に).

Why is it 彼女は and not 彼女が?

• は marks the topic/contrast: “as for her…”
• が marks the grammatical subject and can add focus/emphasis: “she (as the one who)…”
• Both are possible depending on context. は is natural if she is already known in the discourse.

Does 彼女 mean “she” or “girlfriend” here?

• It can mean either; context decides.
• In textbook-style examples like this, it usually just means “she.”
• In everyday Japanese, pronouns are often omitted if context is clear.

Can I say 断ってからも instead of 断ったあとも?

• Yes: V-てから also means “after doing.”
• 〜てから highlights the boundary “once X is done,” but here the meaning is essentially the same: 断ってからも、友達を気にしていた。

Why not use 断っても?

• V-ても = “even if (X happens)” → hypothetical/conditional.
• V-たあとも = “even after (X happened)” → a completed fact.
• Choose based on whether the refusal is hypothetical (断っても) or already happened (断ったあとも).

What was refused? Why is it omitted?

• Japanese often omits understood elements.
• 断った could refer to an invitation, request, confession, etc.
• If needed: 誘いを断った, お願いを断った, or specify the person: 彼に(彼女に)断った.

Should I write 後 or あと?

• Both are fine: 断った後(も) or 断ったあと(も).
• Kanji is very common in short set phrases; kana is also acceptable. Here the reading is あと (not ご/のち).

Is 友達 singular or plural?

• Japanese doesn’t mark number by default; it can mean “friend” or “friends.”
• To be explicit: 一人の友達, 何人かの友達, 友達たち.

Could I use 心配していた or 気を遣っていた instead of 気にしていた?

• 心配していた: stronger, anxious worry.
• 気にしていた: milder, was concerned/kept it in mind.
• 気を遣っていた: was being considerate/attentive to someone’s feelings (different idea).
• Pick the one that matches the intended nuance.

Are the comma and spaces normal in Japanese?

• Spaces here are for learners; standard Japanese doesn’t put spaces between words.
• The comma after も is optional and just marks a pause. You can omit it.