落后

• Pinyin: luò hòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 落 = 艹 (grass) + 洛 (a river name, phonetic), meaning to fall like leaves; 后 = simplified from 後, meaning behind or after

Meaning

To fall behind; backward; lagging. Describes being behind others in development, progress, or competition.

Used in many contexts: competition (比分落后 = trailing in score), development (经济落后 = economically underdeveloped), technology (技术落后 = technologically backward), and personal progress (成绩落后 = grades falling behind). Can function as both a verb (落后了 = fell behind) and an adjective (落后的地区 = underdeveloped area).

Examples

1. 我们队现在落后两分，要加油了。 Our team is trailing by two points now — we need to step it up.
2. 这个地方比较落后，交通很不方便。 This place is quite underdeveloped, and the transport is very inconvenient.
3. 如果不努力学习，就会落后。 If you don't study hard, you'll fall behind.

Usage Guide

Context: competition, development, education

Tone: concerned

Do Say

• 不想落后就得努力。(If you don't want to fall behind, you have to work hard.)
• 落后不可怕，可怕的是不努力。(Falling behind isn't scary — what's scary is not trying.)

Don't Say

• 他是一个落后的人。(Be careful using 落后 to describe a person directly — it sounds harsh. Say 他的成绩有点落后 rather than calling the person backward.)

Origin & History

落 means to fall or drop; 后 means behind or after. Together: to fall behind — to lag behind others.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal