Make sure you have read the legal bit on my home page.
saburinasanhashyokudousurutokite-buruniodorimashita "While Sabrina was dining, she danced on the table."
Note the subtle difference between this pattern and the equivalent consecutive action pattern. Here, plain present form plus toki indicates that the second action happened while the first action was in progress.
To illustrate the point again:
watashihaatorantisuniirutoki . . . "While I was in Atlantis . . .".
saburinasanhaodoruatodenugimashita. "Sabrina undressed after she started dancing."
atode indicates that the following clause happened after the preceding clause. There is no specific implication of causality, just of temporal relationship. This construction indicates that the following clause describes a single action.
Again, note the subtle difference between this pattern and the equivalent consecutive action pattern. Here, plain present form plus atode indicates that the second action happened while the first action was in progress (after it started, but before it stopped).
saburinasanhaodoruatonuideimashita. "Sabrina was undressing after she started dancing."
ato (without the de) indicates that the following clause describes something with duration, rather than a single action. The implication here is that Sabrina took time over removing her clothes (perhaps performing a striptease act) rather than just took them off.
Yet again, note the subtle difference between this pattern and the equivalent consecutive action pattern. Here, plain present form plus ato indicates that the second action started while the first action was in progress (after it started, but before it stopped).
saburinasanhaodorinagaranugimashita "While Sabrina was dancing, she removed her clothes."
This pattern describes two simultaneous actions by the same person. The implication is that it is the second action which is important. The first action merely sets the scene.
saburinasanhate-buruniiruaidanuideimashita "While Sabrina was on the table, she removed her clothes."
saburinasanhate-buruniiruaidaninugimashita "While Sabrina was on the table, she removed her clothes."
saburinasanhayuushyokunoaidenuideimashita "During the evening meal, Sabrina removed her clothes."
saburinasanhayuushyokunoaideninugimashita "During the evening meal, Sabrina removed her clothes."
These patterns (aide and aideni) indicate that the following action happened during a defined period of time (with a beginning and an end). The action following aideni is a single action with no significant duration (Sabrina just removed her clothes). The action following aide is a continuing action with duration (Sabrina took some time over removing her clothes, perhaps performing a striptease act).
Both patterns can be used either with verbs (in which case, it is the present plain form which is used even if the actions were in the past), or with nouns (noaide and noaideni).