そして

And Then

Level 1Sounds Like soshite

そして is a formal and neutral way to connect two separate sentences. It is used to add information or describe a sequence of events.

How It Works

そして is used to link ideas smoothly from a consistent viewpoint. Unlike それから, which often signals a shift in time or focus, そして suggests the speaker is looking at the situation from the same angle throughout.

It has three main functions:

  • Addition: Adding a new fact about the same topic. (e.g., 'He is tall. And, he is kind.')
  • Sequence: Describing a chronological series of actions. (e.g., 'I went to the store. And then, I went home.')
  • Listing: Connecting the final item in a list of three or more nouns (A, B, そして C).

Grammar Rules:
1. Sentence Starter: It most commonly starts a new sentence: [Sentence 1]。そして、[Sentence 2]。
2. Mid-sentence: It can follow a て-form（てけい） verb for emphasis to connect clauses within a single sentence.
3. Noun Connector: It can link the final noun in a series: [Noun A]、[Noun B]、そして [Noun C]。It is not used to connect only two nouns.
4. Distinction from それから: While both can mean 'and then', それから can also mean 'since then' (e.g., 'Since then, I have been busy'). そして cannot be used to express 'since that time'.
5. Formality: It is neutral-formal. In casual speech, the て-form（てけい） is often used alone to connect ideas.

Examples (4)

  1. 昨日はデパートへ行きました。そして、靴を買いました。

    Yesterday I went to the department store. And then, I bought shoes.

    Word by Word: Yesterday (topic) department to went. And then, shoes (object) bought.

    Here, そして shows a sequence of events: first going to the store, then buying shoes.

  2. 彼は親切です。そして、とても頭がいいです。

    He is kind. And (also), he is very smart.

    Word by Word: He (topic) kind is. And, very head (subject) good is.

    In this case, そして adds a second positive quality to the description of the person.

  3. 朝ご飯を食べました。そして、学校へ行きました。

    I ate breakfast. And then, I went to school.

    Word by Word: Breakfast (object) ate. And then, school to went.

    This demonstrates a simple chronological order of daily activities.

  4. この料理は安いです。そして、おいしいです。

    This food is cheap. And, it is delicious.

    Word by Word: This food (topic) cheap is. And, delicious is.

    そして connects two い-adjectives that describe the same dish.

Common Mistakes

  • Using そして to connect only two nouns directly.

    りんご そして みかん を食べました。
    りんご と みかん を食べました。

    To connect just two nouns like 'apple and orange', you must use the particle と. そして is primarily for connecting sentences. While it can be used to introduce the final item in a long list (A, B, そして C), it cannot replace と for simple pairs.

  • Using そして when there is a contrast between ideas.

    外は暑いです。そして、中は涼しいです。
    外は暑いです。でも、中は涼しいです。

    そして is for adding similar or sequential information. If the second sentence contradicts the first (Hot vs. Cool), you should use でも or しかし.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

そしてLevel 1And Then

Learn This First

そして is a conjunction used to link two independent sentences in a sequence. To use it correctly, you must first be able to construct complete Japanese sentences using basic word order and sentence structures.

Words in This Pattern