Discussion of 之后/之後

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In this post, we discuss the difference between 之后 and 以后.

之后 can refer to time (most cases), as well as location (this usage is quite rare). Examples:
E.g.游行时我们班的队伍走在三班的队伍之后。[phr] In the parade, our class marched after Class Three. (Location)
E.g.她毕业之后当了律师。 [phr] She worked as a lawyer after her graduation. (Time)

之后 can also be used at the beginning of the sentence, meaning after the action or incident which is mentioned before:
E.g. 一开始，我先简单地讨论了行动方案的大纲(=Action 1)。之后，我又对具体的措施进行了详细的介绍(=Action 2)。(phr) At the beginning, I briefly discussed the outline of the action plan. After that, I gave a detailed explanation of the specific solutions.

以后 cannot refer to location. Only time. When referring to time, it means either:
From now on: 我保证，以后不迟到了。 [phr] I promise that I will not be late in the future.
Or, after a certain time: 下过雨以后天气凉快了很多。 [phr] It's very cool after the rain.

lisaC

What other words can I use instead of 之后 (zhīhòu) in written Chinese?

个学生

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Are there any common expressions using 之后 (zhīhòu)?

个学生

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1. 一切之后 (yīqiè zhīhòu): After everything. This expression is used to refer to the time after a series of events have taken place.

2. 之后再说 (zhīhòu zàishuō): Let's talk about it afterwards. This expression is used to suggest that a discussion should be postponed until after a certain event or time.

当老师

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How is 之后 (zhīhòu) used to indicate time?

个学生

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之后 (zhīhòu) is used to indicate time in the sense of "later, after, afterwards". It is often used to indicate that something will happen after a certain point in time, for example, 吃完饭之后我就回家了 (Chī wán fàn zhīhòu wǒ jiù huí jiāle.) meaning "After eating, I just went home".

当老师

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然后 vs 之后

然后 is a conjunction that connects two clauses within a complex sentence. The two clauses connected by 然后 can have the same subject or different subjects. For example:
- 我打算先去超市，然后和你一起回家。 [phr] I plan to go to the supermarket first and then go home with you
- 你先在宾馆等我，我等下过去之后再找你，然后我们再去汽车站！ [phr] Please wait for me at the hotel. I'll come to meet you in a while. Then let's go to the bus station together.

之后 is a noun. We can add a point of time or a period of time before 之后. For example:
- 毕业之后 after graduation
- 回国之后 after going back to one's home country
- 秋天之后 after autumn
- 上了张老师的课之后 after taking Mr./ Ms. Zhang's class
- 一周之后 a week later

lisaC

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