<blockquote>
  <p>以后再也不来这里吃饭了，又贵又难吃</p>
</blockquote>

<p>以后 in this context means <strong>from now on</strong>. </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我六点下班以后，我去跟朋友吃饭</p>
</blockquote>

<p>in this context, it means <strong>after</strong>. basically, ....以后 means <strong>after....</strong>. E.g. 十年以后: <em>after ten years or ten years later.</em> </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-20T06:08:32.453Z
2018-11-20T06:08:32.453Z
dan
<p>&quot;以后再也不来这里吃饭了，又贵又难吃&quot; is grammatically correct because it does modify an event, and the event is '<strong>from now on</strong> not come here for dinner'.</p>
<p>This sentence implies &quot;從今(from now on)以后再也不来这里吃饭了，又贵又难吃&quot;</p>
<p>'從今'(from now on) is omitted because we know '以后'(hereafter) is referring to 'from now, hereafter'</p>
<p>Just like if you wrote &quot;(昨天在这里吃了一餐)以后，再也不會来这里吃饭了，又贵又难吃&quot; 以后 modifies the event &quot;昨天在这里吃了一餐&quot;.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>2) Would removing the commas for the second example make it grammatically correct</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>我六点下班以后，我去跟朋友吃饭 is technically correct, but it should be a single sentence: &quot;我六点下班(之后)去跟朋友吃饭&quot;</p>
<p>Use 之后 instead of 以后 because 以后 is usually followed by a unique event</p>
<p>Example to illustrate my point:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>清朝灭亡(以后), 中国再没有皇帝了 (correct)</p>
<p>清朝灭亡(之后), 中国再没有皇帝了 (correct)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>'The demise of the Qing Dynasty; no more emperor' is a unique event, you cannot have this event again</p>
<blockquote>
<p>雨停(以后)才能出外 (incorrect)</p>
<p>雨停(之后)才能出外 (correct)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>'after the rain stop; going out' is not a unique event, it will happen again and again</p>
<p>Best way is to simply write: &quot;我六点下班(后)去跟朋友吃饭&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-20T06:34:23.297Z
if 以后 often precedes a unique event, doesn't that mean this example on the grammar page `昨天我跟朋友吃完饭以后去了酒` is wrong since it isn't a unique event? thanks again!
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-20T06:36:44.740Z
昨天我跟朋友吃完饭 is a unique event-- you cannot have another 昨天(19-Nov-2018); meanwhile 跟朋友吃完饭 is not a unique event.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-20T06:38:36.543Z
Correct, but in the answer you say 以后 is usually followed by a unique event. In this example 去了酒 is not a unique event?
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-20T06:40:22.537Z
去了酒吧 also happened in 昨天; **Yesterday** (19-Nov-2018), you went to dinner with friends, then you all went to a bar
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-20T06:45:22.003Z
Therefore, 跟朋友吃饭(之后)去酒吧 is better than 跟朋友吃饭(以后)去酒吧 , and the best way is still 跟朋友吃饭(后)去酒吧
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-20T06:52:20.423Z
ok thanks very much! to reiterate if 雨停(以后)才能出外 changed to 明天雨停(以后)才能出外, then it would be correct because the date makes it a unique event, right?
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-20T06:54:33.730Z
You got it. in '明天雨停(以后)才能出外',  '出外' also happen in tomorrow (21-Nov-2018)
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-21T04:31:39.297Z
I think it's not uniqueness that distinguish 以后 and 之后. 以后 should be used after something already happened, while 之后 does not have this limitation.
Kevin. Fang
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-21T09:01:14.200Z
@Kevin. Fang "一切等革命成功(以后/ 之后)再談" implies 革命 has not been completed. Still, we can use either 以后 or 之后. I do agree It refer to 'when it already happened (in the future)' and 之后 sound more natural
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-20T06:28:18.980Z
2018-12-02T21:22:57.823Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p><a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22yihou%22_and_%22zhihou%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This grammar article</a> says 以後 must modify some time, action, or event.</p>

<p>However, one of the examples is: <code>以后再也不来这里吃饭了，又贵又难吃</code>.</p>

<p>1) In the above example, <code>以後</code> starts the sentence and modifies nothing. Why is it okay for the first example but not this one: <code>我六点下班，以后，我去跟朋友吃饭</code>?</p>

<p>2) Would removing the commas for the second example make it grammatically correct since <code>以后</code> would be then modifying <code>我六点下班</code>? In other words, would this sentence -- without commas -- be correct: <code>我六点下班以后我去跟朋友吃饭</code>. Would removing the comma here also make 以后 correct: <code>我们先复习一下，以后上新课</code>?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-11-20T06:00:20.523Z
see comment #1 of https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/31326/safe-to-always-use-%e4%b9%8b%e5%be%8c-instead-of-%e4%bb%a5%e5%be%8c-and-%e4%b9%8b%e5%89%8d-instead-of-%e4%bb%a5%e5%89%8d/31327#31327  esp。＂以后＂还可以用在单句的开头或主语后；（６）以后，你有什么打算？（后✗之后✗）
user6065
<grammar><mandarin>
Understanding how to use 以後
# Understanding how to use 以後

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-11-20)

[This grammar article](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22yihou%22_and_%22zhihou%22) says 以後 must modify some time, action, or event.

However, one of the examples is: `以后再也不来这里吃饭了，又贵又难吃`.

1) In the above example, `以後` starts the sentence and modifies nothing. Why is it okay for the first example but not this one: `我六点下班，以后，我去跟朋友吃饭`?

2) Would removing the commas for the second example make it grammatically correct since `以后` would be then modifying `我六点下班`? In other words, would this sentence -- without commas -- be correct: `我六点下班以后我去跟朋友吃饭`. Would removing the comma here also make 以后 correct: `我们先复习一下，以后上新课`?

**Tags:** grammar, mandarin

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: see comment #1 of https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/31326/safe-to-always-use-%e4%b9%8b%e5%be%8c-instead-of-%e4%bb%a5%e5%be%8c-and-%e4%b9%8b%e5%89%8d-instead-of-%e4%bb%a5%e5%89%8d/31327#31327  esp。＂以后＂还可以用在单句的开头或主语后；（６）以后，你有什么打算？（后✗之后✗）  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-11-20. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

"以后再也不来这里吃饭了，又贵又难吃" is grammatically correct because it does modify an event, and the event is '**from now on** not come here for dinner'.

This sentence implies "從今(from now on)以后再也不来这里吃饭了，又贵又难吃"

'從今'(from now on) is omitted because we know '以后'(hereafter) is referring to 'from now, hereafter'

Just like if you wrote "(昨天在这里吃了一餐)以后，再也不會来这里吃饭了，又贵又难吃" 以后 modifies the event "昨天在这里吃了一餐".

> *2) Would removing the commas for the second example make it grammatically correct*

我六点下班以后，我去跟朋友吃饭 is technically correct, but it should be a single sentence: "我六点下班(之后)去跟朋友吃饭"

Use 之后 instead of 以后 because 以后 is usually followed by a unique event

Example to illustrate my point:

> 清朝灭亡(以后), 中国再没有皇帝了 (correct)
>
> 清朝灭亡(之后), 中国再没有皇帝了 (correct)

'The demise of the Qing Dynasty; no more emperor' is a unique event, you cannot have this event again

> 雨停(以后)才能出外 (incorrect)
>
> 雨停(之后)才能出外 (correct)

'after the rain stop; going out' is not a unique event, it will happen again and again

Best way is to simply write: "我六点下班(后)去跟朋友吃饭"

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: if 以后 often precedes a unique event, doesn't that mean this example on the grammar page `昨天我跟朋友吃完饭以后去了酒` is wrong since it isn't a unique event? thanks again!  
> **username_3**: 昨天我跟朋友吃完饭 is a unique event-- you cannot have another 昨天(19-Nov-2018); meanwhile 跟朋友吃完饭 is not a unique event.  
> **username_0**: Correct, but in the answer you say 以后 is usually followed by a unique event. In this example 去了酒 is not a unique event?  
> **username_3**: 去了酒吧 also happened in 昨天; **Yesterday** (19-Nov-2018), you went to dinner with friends, then you all went to a bar  
> **username_3**: Therefore, 跟朋友吃饭(之后)去酒吧 is better than 跟朋友吃饭(以后)去酒吧 , and the best way is still 跟朋友吃饭(后)去酒吧  
> **username_0**: ok thanks very much! to reiterate if 雨停(以后)才能出外 changed to 明天雨停(以后)才能出外, then it would be correct because the date makes it a unique event, right?  
> **username_3**: You got it. in '明天雨停(以后)才能出外',  '出外' also happen in tomorrow (21-Nov-2018)  
> **username_4**: I think it's not uniqueness that distinguish 以后 and 之后. 以后 should be used after something already happened, while 之后 does not have this limitation.  
> **username_3**: @username_4 "一切等革命成功(以后/ 之后)再談" implies 革命 has not been completed. Still, we can use either 以后 or 之后. I do agree It refer to 'when it already happened (in the future)' and 之后 sound more natural  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-11-20. Score: 3

> 以后再也不来这里吃饭了，又贵又难吃

以后 in this context means **from now on**.

> 我六点下班以后，我去跟朋友吃饭

in this context, it means **after**. basically, ....以后 means **after....**. E.g. 十年以后: *after ten years or ten years later.*


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