Comparing "yihou" and "zhihou"

If you are trying to explain what happened after a certain event, you might want to use "以后" (yǐhòu) or "之后" (zhīhòu). After all, they do both mean "after," right? Well, it turns out that there are a few tiny differences in usage.

Similarity

Both indicates another event happened after a specific time. In this case, these two words can share the same structure.

Structure

Subj. + Specified Time + 以后／之后 + Verb

In situations something happens after something else, you can use 以后. The stipulation with this is that "after WHAT" needs to be explicitly stated. That is, there has to be a "specified time" for 以后 to modify. Otherwise the sentence won't work.

Examples

• 下 过 雨 以后 / 之后 空气 会 好 很 多 。Xià guo yǔ yǐhòu / zhīhòu kōngqì huì hǎo hěn duō.After it rains, the air will be a lot better.
• 结婚 以后 / 之后 他们 有 了 两 个 宝宝 。 Jiéhūn yǐhòu / zhīhòu tāmen yǒu le liǎng gè bǎobǎo.After getting married, they had two babies.
• 等 我 涨 工资 以后 / 之后 请 你 吃饭 。 Děng wǒ zhǎng gōngzī yǐhòu / zhīhòu qǐng nǐ chīfàn.After I get a raise, I will treat take you out to eat.
• 听到 这 个 消息 以后 / 之后 ，我 高兴 得 一 晚上 没 睡 。 Tīngdào zhège xiāoxi yǐhòu / zhīhòu, wǒ gāoxìng de yī wǎnshang méi shuì.After I heard this news, I was so happy I couldn't sleep the whole night.

Differences

The key to understanding 以后 here is that if it doesn't come immediately after something else, then it's being used by itself. And when 以后 is used by itself, it doesn't mean "after;" it means "in the future."

以后

Structure

以后 ，⋯⋯

Examples

• 以后 再 也 不 来 这里 吃饭 了 ， 又 贵 又 难吃 。 Yǐhòu zài yě bù lái zhèlǐ chīfàn le, yòu guì yòu nánchī.In the future I will never come to this place to eat again. It's expensive and the food is terrible.
• 以后 我 可能 会 去 国外 上 大学 。 Yǐhòu wǒ kěnéng huì qù guówài shàng dàxué.In the future I might go to college abroad.
• 以后 的 事情 以后 再 说 吧 。 Yǐhòu de shìqing yǐhòu zài shuō bā.We'll talk about future issues in the future.

之后

Compared to 以后, 之后 is a little more flexible. Not only can it be used just like 以后, modifying the time, but it can also appear all on its own, meaning something along the lines of "after that." While 以后 must come after a specific time to mean "after," 之后 can stand by itself.

Structure

Event 1 ，之后 + Event 2

之后 + Event 2

Examples

• 我 要 先 回家 把 东西 放 下 ，之后 去 咖啡店 找 你 。 Wǒ yào xiān huí jiā bǎ dōngxi fàng xià, zhīhòu qù kāfēidiàn zhǎo nǐ.I'm going to go home and drop my stuff off first, after that go to the cafe to look for you.
• 去年 夏天 他 来 过 我 家 ，之后 再 也 没 见 过 他 。 Qùnián xiàtiān tā lái guò wǒ jiā, zhīhòu zài yě méi jiàn guo tā.Last summer, he came to my house. After that, I haven't seen him.

Common Mistakes

Examples

• 我 六 点 下班 。 以后，我 去 跟 朋友 吃饭。Since there is nothing that "以后" modifies, this sentence doesn't work.Wǒ liù diǎn xiàbān. Yǐhòu, wǒ qù gēn péngyou chīfàn.
• 我 六 点 下班 。 之后，我 去 跟 朋友 吃饭。"之后" works in this sentence.Wǒ liù diǎn xiàbān. Zhīhòu, wǒ qù gēn péngyou chīfàn.I will get off work at six o'clock. After that, I will meet a friend for dinner.
• 昨天 我 跟 朋友 吃 完 饭 以后 去 打 篮球 了 。Zuótiān wǒ gēn péngyou chī wán fàn yǐhòu qù dǎ lánqiú le.
• 昨天 我 跟 朋友 吃 完 饭 之后 去 打 篮球 了 。Zuótiān wǒ gēn péngyou chī wán fàn Zhīhòu qù dǎ lánqiú le.Yesterday after finishing eating with my friends, we played basketball.
• 昨天 我 跟 朋友 去 吃饭 了 。 以后，我们 去 了 宠物店 。Again, since there is nothing for "以后" to modify, it's a bad sentence.Zuótiān wǒ gēn péngyou qù chīfàn le. yǐhòu, wǒmen qù le chǒngwù diàn.
• 昨天 我 跟 朋友 去 吃饭 了 。 之后，我们 去 了 宠物店 。Zuótiān wǒ gēn péngyou qù chīfàn le, zhīhòu, wǒmen qù le chǒngwù diàn."之后" works in this sentence.Yesterday I ate dinner with a friend, and afterward we went to a pet shop.

See Also

• After a specific time
• In the future in general
• Before and after with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"
• Comparing "yihou" and "houlai"

Sources and Further Reading

Books

HSK5