以后

• Pinyin: yǐ hòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 以 = ancient character meaning 'to use/by means of'; 后 = simplified form, meaning 'after/behind'

Meaning

After; afterwards; later; in the future. Refers to a time following a given point.

Can mean 'after' a specific event (e.g., 下课以后 — after class) or 'in the future' in a general sense (e.g., 以后我要学中文 — in the future I want to learn Chinese). Placed after a time point or event to mean 'after that.'

Examples

1. 下课以后我们一起去吃饭吧。 Let's go eat together after class.
2. 以后有时间再来玩。 Come visit again when you have time in the future.
3. 毕业以后他打算去上海工作。 After graduating, he plans to go work in Shanghai.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, conversation, planning

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 吃饭以后去散步。(Let's go for a walk after eating.)
• 以后我想去中国旅游。(In the future, I want to travel to China.)

Don't Say

• 我昨天以后去了商店。(Don't use 以后 to mean 'after' in past sequences like this — use 之后 or restructure the sentence.)

Origin & History

Compound of 以 (by means of/using) and 后 (after/behind), literally 'from after,' i.e. from a point onward.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal