Difference between revisions of "Sequencing past events with "houlai""
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[[Category:B1 grammar points]] | [[Category:B1 grammar points]] |
Revision as of 09:47, 12 December 2017
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Used for
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Keywords
"⋯⋯, 后来⋯⋯" (..., hòulái...) is used to sequence past events in the same way that "Afterward..." is in English. Something very important to note is that 后来 can only be used with two events that have already occurred.
Structure
Past Event 1 ,后来 ,Past Event 2
Examples
Here are some examples of this pattern in action:
- 他 说 他 会 来 ,后来 又 说 不 来 了 。He said he would come, but later he said that he's not coming.
- 他们 上周 吵架 了 ,后来 和好 了 。They had a fight last week and they made up afterwards.
- 我 昨晚 走 得 早 ,不 知道 后来 发生 了 什么 。I left very early yesterday evening, so I don't know what happened afterwards.
- 空调 前天 修好 了 ,后来 又 坏了 。I fixed the air conditioner last week, but it was broken again after that.
- 他们 在一起 差不多 三 年 ,后来 分手 了 。They had been together for about three years. But they broke up afterwards.
- 开始 我 父母 不 同意 ,后来 他们 同意 了 。My parents disapproved in the beginning, but they approved later.
- 他 以前 是 厨师 ,后来当 了 餐厅 的 老板 。He used to be chef. Afterwards he became the owner of the restaurant.
- 两年 前 她 是 兼职 老师 ,后来 做 了 全职 。She was a part time teacher two years ago. Afterwards she became full time.
- 我们 先 开了 一 个 网店 ,后来 又 开 了 这个 实体店 。We opened an online shop first, and then we opened this physical store.
- 北京 以前 叫 北平 ,后来 改 成 了 北京 。Beijing used to be called Beiping and got changed into Beijing later.
See also
- Before and after with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"
- Saying "ever since" with "yilai"
- In the future in general
- Comparing "houlai" and "ranhou"