Meaning
后 is a fundamental spatial and temporal word meaning 'back' or 'behind' in physical space, and 'after' or 'later' in time. It's one of the first position words learners encounter and is extremely common in everyday speech.
Usage
后 typically follows the reference point (e.g., 房子后 'behind the house'). It's also used in time expressions like 以后 (yǐhòu, 'after/later') and 后来 (hòulái, 'afterwards'). In modern usage, the simplified form 后 has merged meanings of both 后 (ruler/queen) and 後 (behind), though 後 is still used in traditional Chinese for the spatial/temporal meaning.
Examples
- 01我的房间在教室后面。.My room is behind the classroom.
- 02我们吃完饭以后去散步吧。.Let's go for a walk after we finish eating.
Common collocations
- 后面behind, at the back
- 以后after, later
- 后天the day after tomorrow
- 之后after, afterwards
Antonyms
Origin
The traditional character 後 originally depicted a person walking slowly, suggesting following behind. The simplified form 后 originally meant 'sovereign' or 'queen' but was adopted to replace 後 in mainland China.