以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu has two jobs. After a time or an event, it means “after.” On its own, before the verb, it means “in the future” or “from now on.”
一 “After”: Time / Event + 以後以后
Time / Event + 以後以后
Put 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòuafter the time or event. This is the opposite of English, where “after” comes first.
我星期五以後以后有空
I’m free after Friday.
很多人說说一九八一年以後以后出生的孩子是草莓族
A lot of people say that kids born after 1981 are the “strawberry generation.”
下課下课以後以后，你要不要跟我一起一块儿吃飯吃饭？
Want to grab a meal with me after class?
離婚离婚以後以后，我找回自己
After the divorce, I found myself again.
Strawberry generation草莓族 cǎoméi zú (strawberry generation) is slang for young people born after 1981. Strawberries look great but bruise easily, and the joke is that this generation is the same: easily “bruised” by stress and hard times.
二 “In the Future”
Subject + 以後以后 + Verb (+ Object)
On its own, 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu means “in the future” or “from now on.” It goes before the verb, either right after the subject or at the start of the sentence.
以後以后你想做什麼什么？
What do you want to do in the future?
我以後以后絕對绝对不會不会再來来這这家黑店
I’m never coming back to this rip-off place again.
我以後以后一定會会很想你
I’m going to miss you so much.
以後以后的事誰谁也不知道
No one knows what the future holds.
Black store?黑店 hēidiàn (literally “black store”) is slang for a shop or restaurant that rips customers off: overcharging, selling bad products, or using sneaky tricks. In English you might say a “rip-off joint” or a “shady place.”
三 Common Mistakes
❌ 以後以后下課下课，我去打工
✅ 下課下课以後以后，我去打工
English says “after class,” but Chinese says “class after.” 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu always comes after the event.
❌ 我以後以后星期五有空
✅ 我星期五以後以后有空
This one is sneaky: 星期五以後星期五以后 means “after Friday,” but 以後星期五以后星期五 sounds like “in the future, on Friday…”
❌ 我去年搬到台北，以後以后找到了新工作
✅ 我去年搬到台北，後來后来找到了新工作
For “later on” in a story about the past, use 後來 hòulái后来 hòulái. A bare 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu at the start points to the future.
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四 Practice
Tap the words below in the right order to build the sentence, then check your answer. If it’s wrong, you can try again as many times as you like, or hit “Show answer” if you get stuck. Careful: some tiles are traps and are not needed!
Question 1 of 10
“It’s going to rain this afternoon, so remember your umbrella.”
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今天中午以後以后會会下雨，你記得记得帶带雨傘雨伞
“After noon” is 中午以後中午以后: the time first, then 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu.
“Would you want to adopt a Taiwanese dog in the future?”
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你以後以后會会想養养一隻只台灣狗台湾狗嗎吗？
Starting with 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu is also correct.
Here 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu means “in the future,” so it goes before the verb.
“After dinner, let’s go for a walk.”
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吃晚飯晚饭以後以后，我們我们去散步吧
我們吃晚飯以後去散步吧我们吃晚饭以后去散步吧 is also correct.
The event (吃晚飯 chī wǎnfàn吃晚饭 chī wǎnfàn) comes first, then 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu.
“I’ll be busy after next week.”
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我下星期以後以后會会很忙
Starting with 下星期以後下星期以后 is also correct.
Time + 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu = “after [that time].”
“I won’t be late ever again.”
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我以後以后不會不会再遲到迟到
Starting with 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu is also correct.
以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu + 不會再 bú huì zài不会再 bú huì zài = “never again from now on.”
“After graduating, she went to work in Japan.”
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她畢業毕业以後以后去日本工作
Starting with 畢業以後毕业以后 is also correct.
The event (畢業 bìyè毕业 bìyè) comes before 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu.
“What kind of person do you want to marry in the future?”
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你以後以后想跟什麼樣什么样的人結婚结婚？
Starting with 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu is also correct.
以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu = “in the future,” before the verb.
“Call me after you get home.”
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你到家以後以后打電話給我给我打电话
Starting with 到家以後到家以后 is also correct.
Event (到家 dào jiā) + 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu, then what to do.
“From now on, I’ll get up early every day.”
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我以後以后每天都要早起
Starting with 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu is also correct.
以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu here means “from now on.”
“After three years, he came back to Taiwan.”
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三年以後以后，他回台灣台湾了
他三年以後回台灣了他三年以后回台湾了 is also correct.
A length of time + 以後 yǐhòu以后 yǐhòu = “(that much time) later.”
