最后
last; final; in the end
HSK level
- Pinyin
- zuìhòu
- Part of speech
- noun
- Level
- HSK 3
- Strokes
- 18
- Register
- neutral
- In episodes
- 2
Stroke order for 最后
最后 is written with 18 strokes (最: 12, 后: 6). The animation replays automatically.
What does 最后 mean?
最后 (zuìhòu) means 'last,' 'final,' or 'in the end / eventually,' and it can act as a noun, an adverb-like time word, or a modifier.
As a sequence marker, it labels the final item or moment in a series — 最后一天 'the last day,' 最后一个 'the last one.' As a discourse word at the head of a sentence, it functions like English 'in the end' or 'finally' to introduce the eventual outcome. Two contrasts with English: first, 最后 marks the FINAL item or eventual outcome — for 'lately / recently' use 最近 (zuìjìn), a common beginner mix-up.
Second, English 'finally' often signals relief ('Finally, the bus came!') — for that emotion Chinese prefers 终于 (zhōngyú); 最后 is more neutral, simply the last in a sequence.
Note: Works in writing and speech, formal and casual. As a time-noun it can sit at the start of a sentence ('In the end, ...') or modify another noun ('最后一次' the last time).
Character by character
Memory hook: 最 'most' + 后 'after' = the 'most-after' point — the very end.
Hear 最后 in real episodes
最后 appears in 2 Fluentide podcast episodes at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Example sentences
今天是这个学期的最后一天。
Jīntiān shì zhège xuéqī de zuìhòu yì tiān.
Today is the last day of this semester.
neutral
最后我决定不去了。
Zuìhòu wǒ juédìng bú qù le.
In the end I decided not to go.
spoken
他是最后一个到的人。
Tā shì zuìhòu yí gè dào de rén.
He's the last person to arrive.
neutral
请你再说最后一次。
Qǐng nǐ zài shuō zuìhòu yí cì.
Please say it one last time.
spoken
比赛到了最后，他赢了。
Bǐsài dào le zuìhòu, tā yíng le.
At the very end of the match, he won.
neutral
Common phrases with 最后
Synonyms
终于 carries a feeling of relief after waiting — 'finally!' 最后 is neutral sequence — 'in the end' / 'lastly.' '终于到了！' (finally arrived) vs '最后我们去了北京' (in the end we went to Beijing).
最终 is more written and slightly more formal, often in reports and news ('最终结果' the final result). 最后 works in any register, including everyday speech.
末 means 'end' as a compound element (周末 weekend, 月末 end of month). It is not used by itself in speech; 最后 is the everyday spoken word.
Don't confuse 最后 with
最近 means 'recently / lately' (recent past or near future). 最后 means 'last / in the end.' '最近怎么样？' = how have you been lately; '最后怎么样？' = how did it turn out in the end. A very common HSK 3 mix-up.
后来 means 'afterwards / later on' — used for past narration to link events. 最后 marks the FINAL event. '我们先吃饭，后来去看电影，最后回家了。' first ate, then went to a movie, and finally went home.
以后 means 'after / from now on / in the future,' a time word for what comes next. 最后 marks the END of a sequence. '下课以后' after class; '最后一节课' the last class.
FAQ
Related words from the same episodes
Acquire it by listening
Meet 最后 again — in real Chinese, at your level.
You just saw 最后 in 2 episodes. Fluentide keeps feeding you news episodes at your level, so this word — and thousands like it — resurface in real sentences until they stick. Full pinyin and translation every time. Free to start.