以後 / 以后
yǐhòu
In Chinese, the phrase for later (afterward in time) is 以後 / 以后 (yǐhòu). If unsure, use 以後 / 以后. Wiktionary also lists 後面 / 后面 (hòumian).
Meaning: afterward in time (adv)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 以後 / 以后 | yǐhòu |
| 後面 / 后面 | hòumian |
The term 以後 / 以后 is used to indicate that something will happen afterward in time. If you need to describe something that is even more late, you can use 更遲 / 更迟.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 以後 / 以后 is composed of 以 (using/by) and 後 (after/behind), which literally translates to 'after [a certain point in time]'.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between temporal and spatial meanings. Use 以後 / 以后 to refer to time (afterward/later), but use 後面 / 后面 when referring to a physical location (behind/the back).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In English, 'after' can function as a preposition, but in Chinese, 以後 / 以后 typically acts as a postposition. This means it follows the time or event it refers to, such as saying 'school finished after' rather than 'after school'.
How do you pronounce it?
yǐhòu
Did you know?
- In casual conversation, people often use 等一下 (děng yī xià), which literally means 'wait a moment', to say 'later' when they are postponing a task.
- When saying 'see you later', Chinese speakers often use 再见 (zàijiàn), where 再 means 'again' and 见 means 'to see', rather than mentioning time at all.
- While 後面 (hòumiàn) refers to physical space, it can be used metaphorically to describe the 'later' part of a book or a movie.
Examples in context
- 对不起，稍后我会跟您详细介绍这个方案。Sorry, I will introduce this plan to you in detail a little later.
- 关于这起事故，请事后向我们提供详细报告。Please provide us with a detailed report after the incident.
- 我去买些东西，我们等会儿再吃饭吧。I'll go buy some stuff, let's have dinner later.
- 这件事我一会儿就办好，别担心。I'll handle this matter in a moment, don't worry.
- 我们晚点儿见面吧，我还得完成这个任务。Let's meet up later, I still need to finish this task.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “later” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
