...以后 — after...
Reach for 以后 when you want to put one event on the timeline 'after' another — 'after I graduate, I'll work,' 'after dinner, we'll watch a movie.' Sticks at the end of a clause or time phrase, not the beginning the way English 'after' does. It's one of the foundational time-sequencing tools you'll use constantly from HSK 2 onward.
Structure
[EVENT/TIME] 以后, [NEXT CLAUSE]
...yǐhòu
How to Think About It
English puts 'after' in front: 'AFTER lunch, I'll call you.' Chinese parks 以后 behind the event: '吃完午饭以后,我给你打电话.' That tail position is what trips up English speakers — they want to say '以后吃饭' but that means something totally different ('in the future, eat'). The rule: whatever happens FIRST goes BEFORE 以后; the result clause comes after.
Examples
下班以后我去看朋友。
Xiàbān yǐhòu wǒ qù kàn péngyou.
After work I'll go see a friend.
吃完饭以后我们去散步。
Chī wán fàn yǐhòu wǒmen qù sànbù.
After we finish eating we'll go for a walk.
大学毕业以后他当了老师。
Dàxué bìyè yǐhòu tā dāng le lǎoshī.
After graduating from university he became a teacher.
Common Mistake
Beginners place 以后 at the start of the sentence by direct translation from English. 以后 attaches to the end of the first event/time phrase, not the beginning. Putting it first makes 以后 mean 'in the future / from now on' — a different word entirely.
以后我下班, 我去买东西。
我下班以后, 我去买东西。
Don't Confuse With
...的时候
Means 'when' or 'at the time of,' not 'after.' 下班的时候 = 'when you get off work / during the time of getting off'; 下班以后 = 'after you get off work.' Don't swap when sequencing matters.
...之后
Same meaning as 以后, slightly more formal/literary. Use 之后 in writing and 以后 in speech. They're interchangeable in most everyday sentences.
...以前
The mirror: 'before' instead of 'after.' Same tail position, opposite direction on the timeline. 吃饭以前 = before eating; 吃饭以后 = after eating.
Practice
下课 ___ 我们去吃饭。 (fill in 'after')
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以后
三点 ___ 我有时间。 (fill in 'after')
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以后
Put in order: [以后 / 我 / 回家 / 看 / 电视 / 下班]
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下班以后我回家看电视。
Translate to Chinese: 'After class I'll go to the library.'
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下课以后我去图书馆。
Write one sentence about what you'll do after waking up tomorrow, using ...以后.
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Example answer: 明天早上起床以后我先喝一杯咖啡。 (After I wake up tomorrow morning, I'll have a cup of coffee first.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear ...以后 — after... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.