そして

• Reading: そして
• Romaji: soshite
• Pronunciation: /so.ɕi.te/

Meaning

And then; and; after that. A conjunction connecting sequential events or adding information.

One of the most fundamental conjunctions in Japanese, used to link sentences in chronological order or to add additional information. More formal than それから (sorekara) and less cause-and-effect oriented than だから (dakara). Extremely common in both speech and writing.

Examples

1. 朝ごはんを食べた。そして学校に行った。 I ate breakfast. And then I went to school.
2. 彼女は美しい。そして頭もいい。 She's beautiful. And she's smart, too.
3. 三年間日本に住んだ。そして日本語がペラペラになった。 I lived in Japan for three years. And then I became fluent in Japanese.

Usage Guide

Context: narratives, conversation, writing

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Combines the demonstrative そ (that) with して (the te-form of する, to do). The literal sense of 'doing that' evolved into a general sequential conjunction.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal