In the future in general with "yihou"

Like talking about the past, talking about things in the future is very straight forward. You can use the simple 以后 (yǐhòu) which means "later".

Structure

To talk about things happening at some unspecified time in the future, you can use 以后 (yǐ hòu). The structure is:

以后， + Subject + Verb + Object

This can be used to talk about actions in the future, or to talk about events that happened after other events in a story.

Examples

• 以后，我 会 学 中文。Later, I will learn Chinese.
• 以后，我 要 去 中国。Later, I will go to China.
• 我 以后 不 喝 啤酒 了。I will not drink beer later.
• 他 以后 不 在 这里 工作 了。I will not work here later.
• 以后，我 会 再 来 这里。Later, I will come here again.
• 他 以后 想 做 一 个 老师。Later he wants to become a teacher.
• 以后，我 要 开 一 个 公司。Later, I want to open a company.
• 我 以后 会 联系 你。Later I will contact you.
• 以后，我们 不 会 再 见面 了。Later, we won't meet again.
• 我 以后 想 去 Google 工作。I want to later go to Google to work.

See also

• "Before" in general
• After a specific time
• Before and after with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"
• Sequencing past events with "houlai"
• Expressing future with "jiang"
• Comparing "yihou" and "houlai"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 268) →buy
• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 26 - 27) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 2 (3rd ed) (pp. 293-4) →buy