JLPT N5 Grammar: そして (soshite) — “And / And Then”

JLPT N5 Grammar: そして (soshite)

Q: What's the difference between そして and て‑form?

Both mean 'and' for actions. The て‑form is more common in casual, natural speech. そして is slightly more formal or emphatic.

Q: Can そして be used with adjectives?

Yes. You can use it to add descriptive information: 親切です。そして、おもしろいです = He is kind. And he is interesting.

The sentence connector — “and / and then”

JLPTジェイエルピーティー N5エヌゴ文法ぶんぽうそして解説かいせつ (接続詞せつぞくし)

⏱️ Study time: 4–6 minutes

そして (soshite) is a conjunction meaning "and" or "and then". It connects two sentences or ideas, often showing a sequence of events or adding information. Unlike the particle と (which connects nouns), そして connects whole clauses and sentences.

🚀 JLPT N5 Warm-up Quiz

Q: How do you say “I went to the supermarket, and then I went home”?

Both A and B are correct! A uses そして to explicitly connect two sentences. B uses the te‑form to link actions naturally — the more common pattern in spoken Japanese. C is wrong: と connects nouns, not full sentences.

Quick Summary

Grammar Point
そして

Meaning
and / and then / also

Type
Conjunction (connects sentences)

Example
朝あさごはんを食たべました。そして、学校がっこうへ行いきました。あさごはんをたべました。そして、がっこうへいきました。Asagohan o tabemashita. Soshite, gakkō e ikimashita.
I ate breakfast. And then I went to school.

📝 Core Pattern

Connecting sentences: Sentence 1。そして + Sentence 2。

Sequence of actions: Past action 1。そして + Past action 2。

Adding information: Fact 1。そして + Fact 2 (also / additionally)。

⚠️ そして connects sentences. It cannot connect nouns — use と for that (パンとコーヒー = bread and coffee).

🧠 Need to connect nouns? See と (to) — Noun Connector →

💡 Toggle furigana, hiragana, or romaji for easier reading.

What is そして?

そして is a conjunction (接続詞) used at the beginning of a sentence to connect it to the previous one. It means "and", "and then", or "also". It's often used in storytelling and formal writing, but also common in everyday speech when you want to clearly separate ideas.

It links sentences, not individual words.
Often implies a time sequence (first A, then B).
Can also simply add information without time order.

昨日きのう映画えいがを見みました。そして、レストランで晩ばんごはんを食たべました。きのうえいがをみました。そして、れすとらんでばんごはんをたべました。Kinō eiga o mimashita. Soshite, resutoran de bangohan o tabemashita.
Yesterday I watched a movie. And then I ate dinner at a restaurant.

⚡ How to Use そして

Use	Pattern	Example
Time sequence	Action 1。そして Action 2。	起おきました。そして、シャワーを浴あびました。 I woke up. And then I took a shower.
Adding information	Fact 1。そして Fact 2。	このレストランは安やすいです。そして、おいしいです。 This restaurant is cheap. And it's delicious.

Examples & Mini Dialogue

昨日きのう友達ともだちに会あいました。そして、いっしょに買かい物ものをしました。きのうともだちにあいました。そして、いっしょにかいものをしました。Kinō tomodachi ni aimashita. Soshite, issho ni kaimono o shimashita.
Yesterday I met my friend. And then we went shopping together.

✅ Clear time sequence between two actions.

彼かれは親切しんせつです。そして、とても面白おもしろいです。かれはしんせつです。そして、とてもおもしろいです。Kare wa shinsetsu desu. Soshite, totemo omoshiroi desu.
He is kind. And he is very interesting.

🗣️ Mini Dialogue
A: 週末しゅうまつは何なにをしましたか。しゅうまつはなにをしましたか。Shūmatsu wa nani o shimashita ka.
B: 掃除そうじをしました。そして、本ほんを読よみました。そうじをしました。そして、ほんをよみました。Sōji o shimashita. Soshite, hon o yomimashita.

⚡ そして vs と vs て‑form

Connector	What it connects	Example
そして	Two sentences / clauses	起おきました。そして、食たべました。 I woke up. And then I ate.
と (particle)	Two nouns	パンとコーヒー Bread and coffee.
て‑form	Two verbs (natural sequence)	起おきて、食たべました。 I woke up and ate.

💡 At N5: The て‑form is the most common way to connect actions in everyday speech. そして is used when you want a clearer separation or a more formal/written feel.

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

✕ パンそしてコーヒー (using そして to connect nouns).

✓ パンとコーヒー (use と for nouns).

✕ Using そして at the end of a sentence.

✓ そして starts the second sentence. It cannot end a sentence.

✕ Overusing そして when the て‑form is more natural.

✓ In casual conversation, use て‑form to link actions smoothly.

JLPT N5 Practice Questions

Score: 0 / 3

1. そして is used to connect ________.

2. Which word means "and" for connecting nouns?

3. Choose the correct sentence using そして.

🎯 JLPT N5 tip: そして appears in reading comprehension and listening — it signals that additional information or the next step in a sequence is coming. If you see it at the start of a sentence, the writer is adding something related to the previous sentence.

Test yourself with a free mock exam →

About the Instructor

Taught by Anup Sensei at Gogaku Language & Training Center in Pokhara. With real Japan experience and a focus on exam essentials, he helps students pass the JLPT with confidence.

⚡ Vocabulary Used in This Lesson

Japanese	Reading	Type	English Meaning
そして	そして	Conjunction	and / and then
起おきる	おきる	Ichidan verb	to get up
食たべる	たべる	Ichidan verb	to eat
映画えいが	えいが	Noun	movie
友達ともだち	ともだち	Noun	friend
買かい物もの	かいもの	Noun	shopping
親切しんせつ	しんせつ	na‑adjective	kind

Related Grammar

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between そして and て‑form?

Both mean "and" for actions. The て‑form is more common in casual, natural speech. そして is slightly more formal or emphatic, used when you want a clear separation between ideas.

Can そして be used with adjectives?

Yes. You can use it to add descriptive information: 親切しんせつです。そして、おもしろいです = He is kind. And he is interesting.

Is そして the same as それから?

They are similar, but それから emphasises time sequence more strongly ("after that"). そして can be used for both time sequence and adding information.

Continue Learning

Next: と (to) — connecting nouns.

Learn と →

→ Explore the JLPT N5 Grammar Hub

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