Difference between revisions of "Comparing "houlai" and "ranhou""

 
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#REDIRECT[[Comparing "yihou" "ranhou" "houlai"]]
 
 
One of the most often confused words are 后来 (hòulái) and 然后 (ránhòu). They are similar on the surface, meaning something like "and then," but their usage is fairly different.
 
 
 
== 后来 is used to describe previous things ==
 
 
 
后来 is a time noun, and it can only be used on its own. It describes a certain time period in the past to the present, and it allows the speaker to described what happened in that period.
 
 
 
 
 
=== Structure ===
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
 
 
Part A, 后来, Part B
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
*1977 年 他 考上 了 大学,<em>后来</em> 就 没 见 过 他。<span class="trans">In 1977, he went to college, I didn't see him after that.</span>
 
*<em>后来</em> 我 去 了 另外 一 家 公司 工作。<span class="trans">Afterwards, I went to work for another company.</span>
 
</div>
 
 
 
== 然后 is used to describe things happens next ==
 
 
 
然后 is always used in a sequence. It is often used with [[Sequencing with "xian" and "zai"|先 (meaning "first")]].
 
 
 
=== Structure ===
 
 
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
Action 1, 然后 + Action 2
 
</div>
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
* 我们 要 去 吃饭,<em>然后</em> 去 超市。<span class="trans">I'm going to eat, then I'll go to the supermarket.</span>
 
* 他 先 告诉 了 我 一 个 好 消息,<em>然后</em> 又 告诉 了 我 一 个 坏 消息。<span class="trans">First he told me the good news, then he told me the bad news.</span>
 
</div>
 
 
 
== Examples of right and wrong sentences ==
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
<ul>
 
<li class="x">我们 想 先 去 美国, <em>后来</em> 去 加拿大。</li>
 
<li class="o">我们 想 先 去 美国, <em>然后</em> 去 加拿大。</li>
 
</ul>
 
</div>
 
 
 
== Example dialog==
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
* A: 我 先 去 你 家,<em>然后</em> 你 和 我 一起 去 见 她?<span class="trans">First I'll go to your house, then you and I can go together to see her.</span>
 
* B: 对。你们 几 年 没 见 了?<span class="trans">Sure. How many years has it been that you haven't seen each other?</span>
 
* A:两 年 前 她 出国 了, <em>后来</em> 就 一直 没 见过 她。<span class="trans">She left the country two years ago. Since then, I haven't seen her.</span>
 
</div>
 
 
 
== Sources and further reading ==
 
 
 
=== Books ===
 
*[[对外汉语教学语法释疑201例]] (p.7) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy]
 
*[[现代汉语八百词(增订本)]] (然后 pp. 461) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693275&sr=8-1 →buy]
 
=== Dictionaries ===
 
* [[现代汉语词典(第5版)]] (后来 pp. 570) [http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8/dp/B001B1RZCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345693609&sr=8-1 →buy]
 
 
 
 
 
[[Category:grammar comparison]]
 
{{Basic Grammar|然后|B1|然后 vs 后来|他 先 告诉 了 我 一 个 好 消息,<em>然后</em> 又 告诉 了 我 一 个 坏 消息,后来 他 就 走 了。|grammar point|ASGA3RJD}}
 
{{Rel char|后来}}
 
{{Used for|Describing actions}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing time and date}}
 
{{Used for|Expressing order}}
 
{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
 
{{Similar|Sequencing past events with "houlai"}}
 
{{Comparison|Time Words}}
 
{{Translation|then}}
 
{{Translation|after}}
 

Latest revision as of 09:13, 22 January 2018