～より (from/since)

• Reading: より
• Romaji: yori
• Formation: Noun (time/place) + より

Meaning

A particle indicating a set starting point in space or time. It is more formal than から and commonly appears in written notices, announcements, and formal speech.

より meaning 'from' or 'since' designates a fixed point of origin in time or space. While から is the everyday equivalent, より carries a more formal and literary tone and is commonly seen in written announcements, official documents, signs, and letters. For example, 午後二時より会議を始めます sounds more formal than 午後二時から. In spatial use, it appears in expressions like こちらより先は立入禁止 (No entry beyond this point). It is important not to confuse this spatial/temporal より with the comparative より meaning 'than.' Context and formality level usually make the distinction clear.

Examples

1. 午後三時より会議が始まります。 The meeting will begin from three o'clock in the afternoon.
2. 来月一日より新しい規則が適用されます。 The new rules will take effect from the first of next month.
3. こちらより先は関係者以外立入禁止です。 No entry beyond this point for unauthorised persons.

Usage Guide

Context: written, formal-speech, announcements

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 明日の十時より受付を開始します。
• 四月一日より新年度が始まります。
• 東京より大阪までの所要時間をお知らせします。

Don't Say

• 昨日より遊んでいる。(Casual context calls for から — より sounds overly stiff in everyday speech: 昨日から遊んでいる) → 昨日から遊んでいる。
• 三時よりか始まる。(より and から cannot be combined — choose one: 三時より始まる or 三時から始まる) → 三時より始まる。

Origin & History

Classical Japanese より originally functioned as a spatial and temporal starting-point marker before developing its comparative meaning. The formal register preserves this older usage in modern written Japanese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal