<blockquote>
  <p>后= after </p>
</blockquote>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>吃饭后 = after eating dinner</p>

<p>15分钟后 = after 15 minutes </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>以后 = after </p>
</blockquote>

<p>以后 (after) emphasizes on 'time after a specific event or action'</p>

<p>Examples:</p>

<p>吃过<strong>那顿</strong>晚饭以后 = after eating <strong>that</strong> dinner (a specific dinner is emphasized)</p>

<p><strong>15分钟的沉默</strong>以后 = after <strong>15 minutes of silence</strong> (the event- 15 minutes of silence is emphasized)</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>以后 = 此后 (hereafter); 其后 (thereafter) ; 以来(since)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Example: 自二战<strong>以后</strong> = 自二战<strong>以来</strong> = since WWII</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>以后 = 今后 (from now on)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Example:</p>

<p>我<strong>以后</strong>不再和你说话 = I won't talk to you <strong>from now on</strong></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-27T13:51:30.720Z
2017-11-27T13:56:58.463Z
2017-11-27T13:56:58.463Z
Tang Ho
<p>后(after,behind), a single character, connotes <strong>time</strong> or <strong>position</strong> according to the context. When it refers to <strong>time</strong> sequencing, it's the same as 以后. It's like in your examples: 吃饭（以）后, 15分钟(以)后. But in 身后，房后 and etc, you can not replace 后 with 以后， because it stands for the location. </p>

<p>以后(after) only connotes <strong>position</strong>. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-28T03:11:00.007Z
2017-11-28T03:11:00.007Z
dan
<p>I think the main difference is, 后 can also mean behind, the back, the last, whereas 以后 does not take such a meaning. </p>

<p>后面： behind<br>
*以后面 X （not a word)</p>

<p>房后有个车库。 Behind the house is a garage.<br>
我坐在后排。 I'm sitting in the last (the behind) row.</p>

<p>后, 以后 both can mean after, afterwards, later.</p>

<p>后 can also mean children, as in 后生，'those born after' 九零后 'the children of the 90s'</p>

<p>And of course, 'the woman behind the king' i.e. the queen: 帝王的妻子：皇后，太后</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-27T22:49:07.793Z
2017-11-27T22:49:07.793Z
Pedroski
<p>I was taught that so as to say "after" in Chinese one should use 以后, like this:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>吃饭以后</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Today I came across a bare 后, like this:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>15分钟后</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What's the difference between these two words?</p>

<mandarin><synonyms><time>
What's the difference between 后 and 以后?
# What's the difference between 后 and 以后?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-27)

I was taught that so as to say "after" in Chinese one should use 以后, like this:

> 吃饭以后

Today I came across a bare 后, like this:

> 15分钟后

What's the difference between these two words?

**Tags:** mandarin, synonyms, time


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-27. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

> 后= after

Examples:

吃饭后 = after eating dinner

15分钟后 = after 15 minutes

> 以后 = after

以后 (after) emphasizes on 'time after a specific event or action'

Examples:

吃过**那顿**晚饭以后 = after eating **that** dinner (a specific dinner is emphasized)

**15分钟的沉默**以后 = after **15 minutes of silence** (the event- 15 minutes of silence is emphasized)

> 以后 = 此后 (hereafter); 其后 (thereafter) ; 以来(since)

Example: 自二战**以后** = 自二战**以来** = since WWII

> 以后 = 今后 (from now on)

Example:

我**以后**不再和你说话 = I won't talk to you **from now on**


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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-11-28. Score: 0

后(after,behind), a single character, connotes **time** or **position** according to the context. When it refers to **time** sequencing, it's the same as 以后. It's like in your examples: 吃饭（以）后, 15分钟(以)后. But in 身后，房后 and etc, you can not replace 后 with 以后， because it stands for the location.

以后(after) only connotes **position**.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-11-27. Score: 0

I think the main difference is, 后 can also mean behind, the back, the last, whereas 以后 does not take such a meaning.

后面： behind  
\*以后面 X （not a word)

房后有个车库。 Behind the house is a garage.  
我坐在后排。 I'm sitting in the last (the behind) row.

后, 以后 both can mean after, afterwards, later.

后 can also mean children, as in 后生，'those born after' 九零后 'the children of the 90s'

And of course, 'the woman behind the king' i.e. the queen: 帝王的妻子：皇后，太后


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