Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| después | /desˈpwes/ |
| luego | /ˈlweɡo/ |
The term is used to mean 'behind', 'later in time' or 'following' as an adverb. If you want to express 'after' in the sense of pursuing or physically going after someone or something, you should use tras or detrás de instead.
Which one should you use?
después is the standard way to say 'after' or 'later' in most contexts. luego is another form that can be used to mean 'after' or 'later'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes depending on how it functions in a sentence. When using 'after' as a preposition followed by a noun or pronoun, you must use the form después de. When 'after' introduces a clause containing a subject and a verb, you must use the form después de que.
How do you pronounce it?
/desˈpwes/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use después alone as a preposition, such as saying después la clase. Instead, you must use the required form después de, as in después de la clase.
Did you know?
- The word luego shares a common ancestor with the English word 'lieu', as both trace back to a root meaning 'to place' or 'to put'.
- In some Spanish dialects, luego can be used to express a logical consequence, similar to how an English speaker says 'therefore'.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, if you say hasta luego, you are not just saying 'until later', but are using a standard way to say 'goodbye'.
Examples in context
- Lee después de mí.Read after me.This sentence shows how to use después.Tatoeba #1100728 by Shishir, translation #249713 by CM
- Ni antes ni después.Neither before nor after.This sentence demonstrates the use of después in a common phrase.Tatoeba #2751723 by hayastan, translation #2751722 by Dejo
- ¿Y qué pasó después?And what happened after that?Tatoeba #3677150 by gianich73, translation #3677113 by Hybrid
- Es importante descansar después de un largo día de trabajo.It's important to rest after a long day of work.
- Vamos a la playa y después al cine.Let's go to the beach and then to the movies.
- Voy a visitarlo después de acabar mi trabajo.I'll visit him after finishing my work.
- Corrí tras el autobús, pero ya se había ido.I ran after the bus, but it had already left.
- Después de almorzar, estudio español.After eating lunch, I study Spanish.
- Después de las vacaciones, ellos vuelven a trabajar.After the vacation, they return to work.
- Después de que termines tus deberes, podrás salir.After you finish your homework, you can go out.
- Después de que él llegue, comenzaremos la reunión.After he arrives, we will start the meeting.
- Estaré allí después de media hora.I will be there after half an hour.
- 967 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are deciding when to meet for coffee.
- Alejandro¿Quieres tomar un café ahora?Do you want to have a coffee now?
- ElenaNo, mejor después de trabajar.No, better after work.
- AlejandroEstá bien, Elena. ¿A qué hora?That's fine, Elena. At what time?
- ElenaA las cinco, después de mi reunión.At five, after my meeting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “after” translations and entries después, luego, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries después, luego, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
