後 (hòu) · after; behind

Meanings

1 after; behind
2 later; afterwards

Characters

後

hòu

after; behind; later

Examples

HSK 7-9

飯後我們去散步。

Fàn hòu wǒmen qù sànbù.

After the meal, we'll go for a walk.

HSK 7-9

請到後面排隊。

Qǐng dào hòumiàn páiduì.

Please line up at the back.

Tips

usage

後 is the traditional/unsimplified form of 后. In simplified Chinese, 后 is used exclusively. You may see 後 in texts from Taiwan, Hong Kong, or classical writing.

Components

radical

彳 chì

step; walk (radical form)

Left step radical (Kangxi #60) - a stylised picture of a person mid-stride, two short slashes capping a vertical leg. Anchors 後 in the family of motion and procession verbs alongside 行 (go), 往 (toward), 待 (wait), 徘 (linger). Sets up the central image: someone walking.

semantic

幺 yāo

small; tangled silk thread

Middle 幺 - originally a coil of tangled silk, hence 'small, slight, restrained.' Inside 後 it pictures a short tether holding the walker back, the visual reason this character means 'behind, lagging.' Same component appears in 幼 (young), 幻 (illusion), 幽 (secluded).

semantic

夂 zhǐ

trailing foot

Bottom-right 夂 - a foot dragging behind, drawn upside-down to mark backward motion. Combines with 彳 + 幺 into a compound ideograph: a walker (彳) tied short (幺) with foot dragging (夂) = the one who falls behind, comes later. The simplified form 后 abandons all three pieces.