Japanese Time Expressions: Saying 'Ago' and 'Last' for Past Events
Learn to place past events in time using 〜前 (mae) for 'ago' and 先〜 (sen-) for 'last', so you can say things like 'I saw her two days ago' or 'I went to Japan last month'.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Japanese, you can talk about past events by attaching time markers to nouns. To say how long ago something happened, put 前 (mae, meaning 'before' or 'ago') after a duration: 二日前 (futsuka mae) means 'two days ago'. To say 'last' as in 'last week' or 'last month', use the prefix 先 (sen-) before the time word: 先週 (senshū) means 'last week'. These patterns are different from 昨日 (kinō, 'yesterday'), which is a standalone word. This lesson teaches you to build and use these expressions naturally in everyday conversation.
By the end, you can…
- say how many days, weeks, months, or years ago something happened using 〜前 (mae).
- use 先〜 (sen-) to talk about 'last week', 'last month', and 'last year'.
- ask and answer simple questions about when a past event occurred.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
二日前に彼女に会いました。
I saw her two days ago.
Futsuka mae ni kanojo ni aimashita.
Use 〜前 (mae) after a duration to mean 'ago'. The particle に (ni) marks the specific time.
先週、映画を見ました。
I watched a movie last week.
Senshū, eiga o mimashita.
先週 (senshū) means 'last week'. Time words like this typically appear at the start of the sentence and do not take a particle.
三ヶ月前に日本へ行きました。
I went to Japan three months ago.
Sankagetsu mae ni Nihon e ikimashita.
三ヶ月 (sankagetsu) means 'three months'. Add 前 (mae) to say 'three months ago'.
去年、京都に住んでいました。
I lived in Kyoto last year.
Kyonen, Kyōto ni sunde imashita.
去年 (kyonen) is a standalone word for 'last year'. It does not use 先 (sen-).
いつ日本に来ましたか。
When did you come to Japan?
Itsu Nihon ni kimashita ka.
Use いつ (itsu, 'when') to ask about past time. The answer can use 〜前 (mae) or 先〜 (sen-).
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To say 'X ago', put the duration before 前 (mae): 一日前 (ichinichi mae, one day ago), 一週間前 (isshūkan mae, one week ago), 一ヶ月前 (ikkagetsu mae, one month ago), 一年前 (ichinen mae, one year ago). Add に (ni) after 前 when you want to emphasize the specific time: 二日前に (futsuka mae ni). For 'last', use 先 (sen-) with 週 (shū) or 月 (getsu): 先週 (senshū, last week), 先月 (sengetsu, last month). Note that 去年 (kyonen, last year) is an exception and does not use 先.
When to use it
Use 〜前 (mae) when you count backward from now: 五分前 (gofun mae, five minutes ago), 十年前 (jūnen mae, ten years ago). Use 先〜 (sen-) for the immediately previous week or month: 先週の金曜日 (senshū no kin'yōbi, last Friday). Do not use 先 (sen-) with 日 (hi) to mean 'yesterday'; that is 昨日 (kinō). Also, 先日 (senjitsu) means 'the other day' and is more formal. In casual speech, you can omit に (ni) after 前 (mae): 二日前に会った (futsuka mae ni atta, I met [her] two days ago).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
先週、どこへ行きましたか。
Where did you go last week?Senshū, doko e ikimashita ka.京都へ行きました。三日前に帰りました。
I went to Kyoto. I came back three days ago.Kyōto e ikimashita. Mikka mae ni kaerimashita.いいですね。いつ京都へ行きましたか。
That's nice. When did you go to Kyoto?Ii desu ne. Itsu Kyōto e ikimashita ka.一週間前に行きました。
I went a week ago.Isshūkan mae ni ikimashita.A little context goes a long way
In Japanese, time expressions like 先週 (senshū) and 〜前 (mae) are often placed at the beginning of a sentence, before the subject. This is different from English, where time can go at the end. For example, 先週、映画を見ました (Senshū, eiga o mimashita) is more natural than 映画を先週見ました. Also, 先月 (sengetsu) refers to the previous calendar month, while 一ヶ月前 (ikkagetsu mae) means 'one month ago' from today. Choose based on whether you mean the calendar period or a duration.
One thing to watch for
Using 先日 (senjitsu) to mean 'yesterday'.
Try this instead: 先日 (senjitsu) means 'the other day' or 'a few days ago', not 'yesterday'. For 'yesterday', use 昨日 (kinō). Example: 昨日、彼に会いました (Kinō, kare ni aimashita) means 'I met him yesterday'. If you want to say 'the other day', use 先日 (senjitsu) in formal contexts.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I came to Japan one year ago'?
Show a sample answer
一年前に日本へ来ました。 (Ichinen mae ni Nihon e kimashita.)
一年 (ichinen) means 'one year', and 前 (mae) makes it 'one year ago'. The particle に (ni) marks the time, and 来ました (kimashita) is the past polite form of 'come'. You could also say 一年前に日本に来ました (Ichinen mae ni Nihon ni kimashita) with に instead of へ; both are correct.
2What is the difference between 先月 (sengetsu) and 一ヶ月前 (ikkagetsu mae)?
Show a sample answer
先月 (sengetsu) means 'last month' (the previous calendar month), while 一ヶ月前 (ikkagetsu mae) means 'one month ago' (a duration from today).
先月 (sengetsu) refers to the specific calendar month before the current one. 一ヶ月前 (ikkagetsu mae) counts back one month from today, which could be in the same calendar month. For example, if today is March 15, 先月 is February, but 一ヶ月前 is February 15.
3Translate: 'I watched a movie last week.'
Show a sample answer
先週、映画を見ました。 (Senshū, eiga o mimashita.)
先週 (senshū) means 'last week'. The particle を (o) marks the object 映画 (eiga, movie), and 見ました (mimashita) is the past polite form of 'watch'. You can also place 先週 after the object: 映画を先週見ました (Eiga o senshū mimashita), but the first version is more common.
Use 〜前 (mae) after a duration to say 'ago' (e.g., 二日前, two days ago), and 先〜 (sen-) before 週 or 月 for 'last' (e.g., 先週, last week). Remember that 昨日 (kinō) is 'yesterday' and 去年 (kyonen) is 'last year'—these do not follow the 先 pattern.
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