然后

rán hòu

HSK 2.0 Level 3 HSK 3.0 Level 3 Conjunction Very common

Definitions

1. then; after that; afterwards

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 以前 yǐ qián 以前 yǐ qián before refers to 'before' in temporal sequence, opposite of 'after': before

Related words

1 item

• 首先 shǒu xiān 首先 shǒu xiān first (of all) used as 'first' in a sequence, often paired with 然后 in structures like 首先...然后...: first (of all)

Synonyms

2 items

• 之后 zhī hòu 之后 zhī hòu after; behind used in more formal contexts, meaning 'afterwards' or 'subsequently': after; behind
• 接着 jiē zhe 接着 jiē zhe to continue often used in spoken language to indicate 'next' or 'then': to continue

Usage notes

Collocations

Commonly used in the structure 先...然后... to express 'first... then...', but 然后 must connect two clauses with a sequence.

Common mistakes

Do not use 然后 at the beginning of a sentence as a filler word like English 'and then'. Overuse sounds non-native.

Example Sentences

5 shown

他感到恶心， 然后 呕吐了。

He felt nauseous and then vomited.

我先吃饭， 然后 看电视。

I'll eat first, then watch TV.

老师审视着学生的作业， 然后 指出了错误。

The teacher examined the student's homework and then pointed out the mistakes.

他说话时停顿了一下， 然后 继续讲。

He paused for a moment while speaking, then continued.

然后 呢？

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 407083)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 然后

• 学然后知不足 学然后知不足 xué rán hòu zhī bù zú: to learn is to know one's ignorance (the Book of Rites 禮記|礼记[lǐ jì])

Child Words of 然后

• 后 后 hòu: empress
• 然 然 rán: correct