以后 vs 然后 vs 后来 (then / after)
Three ways to say "then / after"
- after以后, then / after然后, afterwards后来 all slide into English as "then / after" — but differ.
- after以后 = after / in future · then / after然后 = and then (next step) · afterwards后来 = later (past story).
- Picking the right one keeps your timeline clear.
then / after然后 = and then (next step)
- then / after然后 chains the next action in a plan or sequence.
first先eat吃饭，then然后sleep睡觉。
- early先to have a meal吃饭，then / after然后to go to bed睡觉 = "eat first, then sleep."
Practice
Eat first, then sleep: 先吃饭，____ 睡觉。
然后 = and then (next step): 先吃饭,然后睡觉.
Practice
Build: “Eat first, then sleep.”
先…，然后…: 先吃饭 + 然后 + 睡觉.
afterwards后来 = later (past only)
- afterwards后来 marks a turn that happened later in the past.
later后来we我们not没go去。
- afterwards后来we / us我们not / haven't没to go去 = "later, we didn't go (after all)."
Practice
Which is for a turn that happened in the PAST?
后来 = later in the past; 以后 can point to the future.
Practice
Match each word to its use.
以后 future · 然后 next step · 后来 past later.
Recap
Key idea
- after以后 — after / in the future (to finish class下课after以后)
- then / after然后 — and then, the next step (early先…，then / after然后…)
- afterwards后来 — later, in the past only (afterwards后来we / us我们not / haven't没to go去)
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Comparing time words.
Explore
Which word completes the sentence?
以后 = after a point (or 'in future'); 然后 = then, the next step; 后来 = later on, in past stories only.