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

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然后 is always used in a sequence. It is often used with 先 (xiān, meaning "first"). 以后 or 后来 can't be used this way.
 
然后 is always used in a sequence. It is often used with 先 (xiān, meaning "first"). 以后 or 后来 can't be used this way.
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=== Right Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
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*中国 是 人口 最多 的 发展中 国家 ,<em>然后</em> 是 印度 。<span class="trans">China is the biggest developing country and then it's India.</span>
 
*中国 是 人口 最多 的 发展中 国家 ,<em>然后</em> 是 印度 。<span class="trans">China is the biggest developing country and then it's India.</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
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=== Wrong Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
 
<ul>
 
<ul>
<li class="x">我 想 先 找 工作 ,<em>以后</em> 找 房子 。</li>
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<li class="x">我 打算 在 朋友 家 住 一个月 ,先 找工作 ,<em>以后</em> 找 房子 。<span class="trans">My plan is to stay with my friend for a month, looking for a job and then a place to live.</span></li>
<li class="x">我们 下周 去 北京 出差 ,<em>以后</em> 去 美国 。</li>
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<li class="x">我们 下周 去 北京 出差 ,<em>以后</em> 去 欧洲 度假 <span class="trans">We're going to Beijing on a business trip and then we go to Europe on vacation.</span></li>
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
 
</div>
 
</div>
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
 
*老板 两 个 星期 <em>以后</em> 去 美国 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn liǎng gè xīngqī <em>yǐhòu</em> qù Měiguó.</span><span class="trans">The boss is going to the USA in two weeks.</span>
 
 
*我 一 个 小时 <em>以后</em> 回来 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ yī gè xiǎoshí <em>yǐhòu</em> huílái.</span><span class="trans"> will come back in an hour.</span>
 
*我 一 个 小时 <em>以后</em> 回来 。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ yī gè xiǎoshí <em>yǐhòu</em> huílái.</span><span class="trans"> will come back in an hour.</span>
*毕业 <em>以后</em> 他 出国 了 。<span class="pinyin">Bìyè <em>yǐhòu</em> tā jiù chūguó le.</span><span class="trans">He went abroad after he graduated.</span>
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*毕业 <em>以后</em> 他 出国 了 。<span class="pinyin">Bìyè <em>yǐhòu</em> tā chūguó le.</span><span class="trans">He went abroad after he graduated.</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
 
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*开始 大家 都不 同意 ,<em>后来</em> 大家 都 同意 了 。 <span class="trans">Everyone disagreed in the beginning, but they all agreed later.</span>
*去年 我们 分手 了 ,<em>后来</em> 再 也 没 见 过 她 <span class="pinyin">Qùnián wǒmen fēnshǒu le, <em>hòulái</em> zài yě méi jiàn guo tā.</span><span class="trans">We broke up last year, after that, I never saw her again.</span>
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*他 在 我们 公司 干 过 两年 ,<em>后来</em> 跳槽 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā zài wǒmen gōngsī gàn gàn guo liǎng nián, <em>hòulái</em> tiàocáo le.</span><span class="trans">He worked for our company for two years. And then he jumped ship.</span>
*他 在 我们 公司 干 过 两年 ,<em>后来</em> 跳槽 了 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā zài wǒmen gōngsī gàn gàn guo liǎng nián, <em>hòulái</em> tiàocáo le.</span><span class="trans">He worked for our company for two years. And then he jumped ship.</span>
 
 
 
</div>
 
 
 
== Right or Wrong ==
 
 
 
=== Examples ===
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
<ul>
 
<li class="x">我 <strong>后来</strong> </li>
 
<li class="x"><strong>以后</strong> 不想再见到你 !</li>
 
</ul>
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
 
<ul>
 
<ul>
<li class="x">我们 <em>以后</em> 分手了,到 现在 已经 一 年 了 。</li>
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<li class="o">他们 大学 的时候 在一起 过 ,<em>以后</em> 分手了 。</li>
<li class="o">我们 <em>后来</em> 分手了,到 现在 已经 一 年 了 。</li>
 
<li class="o"> 我们 在 一起 两 个 月<em>以后</em> 分手了,到 现在 已经 一 年 了 。</li>
 
 
</ul>
 
</ul>
 
</div>
 
</div>

Revision as of 10:21, 6 March 2018

以后 (yǐhòu) and 然后 (ránhòu) can both mean "and then," but their usage is fairly different. While both 以后 (yǐhòu) and 后来 (hòulái) can mean "later," they have distinct uses.

然后 as "and then"

然后 is always used in a sequence. It is often used with 先 (xiān, meaning "first"). 以后 or 后来 can't be used this way.

Right Examples

  • 我们 先 复习 一下 ,然后 上 新 课 。We do some reviewing first and the started the new lesson.
  • 我们 一会儿 在 楼下 见 ,然后 一起 走 。We'll meet downstairs and then we go together.
  • 中国 是 人口 最多 的 发展中 国家 ,然后 是 印度 。China is the biggest developing country and then it's India.

Wrong Examples

  • 我 打算 在 朋友 家 住 一个月 ,先 找工作 ,以后 找 房子 。My plan is to stay with my friend for a month, looking for a job and then a place to live.
  • 我们 下周 去 北京 出差 ,以后 去 欧洲 度假 。We're going to Beijing on a business trip and then we go to Europe on vacation.

Usage of 以后

以后 as "In the Future"

以后 is a time noun, which can be used to talk about things that happen at some unspecified point in the future while 然后 and 后来 can't be used this way.

A few examples:

  • 以后 想 开 公司 。yǐhòu xiǎng kāi gōngsī.I want to start up my own business in the future.
  • 请 你 以后 别 来 了 。Qǐng nǐ yǐhòu bié lái le.Please stop coming in the future.

以后 as "After A Specific Time"

Note that the time can be specific (like a date or time) or broad (like an event, action, or occurrence).

A few examples:

  • 我 一 个 小时 以后 回来 。Wǒ yī gè xiǎoshí yǐhòu huílái. will come back in an hour.
  • 毕业 以后 他 出国 了 。Bìyè yǐhòu tā chūguó le.He went abroad after he graduated.

后来 as "Afterwards"

后来 is used to sequence two events that have already occurred. It is the Chinese equivalent of the English word "afterward."

Also note that 后来 is a time noun, and it can only be used on its own.

Structure

[Past Event 1] ,后来 + [Past Event 2]

Examples

  • 开始 大家 都不 同意 ,后来 大家 都 同意 了 。 Everyone disagreed in the beginning, but they all agreed later.
  • 他 在 我们 公司 干 过 两年 ,后来 跳槽 了 。Tā zài wǒmen gōngsī gàn gàn guo liǎng nián, hòulái tiàocáo le.He worked for our company for two years. And then he jumped ship.
  • 他们 大学 的时候 在一起 过 ,以后 分手了 。

Example Dialog

  • A: 我 先 去 你 家,然后 我们 一起 去 见 她 ?First I'll go to your house, then we can go together to see her.
  • B: 好的 。她 出国 以后 你们 见过面 吗 ?Sure. Have you seen each other since she went abroad?
  • A: 见 过 一次 。后来 我 。She left the country two years ago. Since then, I haven't seen her.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

Dictionaries