Meaning of 事后
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- after the event
- in hindsight
- in retrospect
How to use 事后
事后 is used to talk about something done or realized after an event is over, often with a sense of regret or hindsight. It usually comes before the verb or at the start of a clause. Example: 事后我才知道他生病了。(Shìhòu wǒ cái zhīdào tā shēngbìng le.) Only afterwards did I learn he was sick.
事 (shì) means a matter or event, and 后 (hòu) means after. Put them together and you get 事后, the time after the event, when you look back on what happened.
Common mistake: Learners often use 事后 where 然后 (ránhòu) belongs. 然后 simply means "and then" in a sequence of steps, while 事后 means after a specific event has ended, often looking back on it. Also keep the fourth tone on both syllables: shì hòu, not shí hòu, which sounds like 时候 (shíhou).
事后 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
事 shì · matter · 8 strokes
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- 3
- 4
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后 hòu · back · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 事后.
| 最后 | zuìhòu | final; last; ultimate; finally; in the end |
| 没事儿 | méishìr | to have spare time; free from work |
| 后天 | hòutiān | the day after tomorrow; life after birth (the period in which one develops through experie |
| 后边 | hòubian | the back; the rear; the last bit; behind; near the end; at the back |
| 然后 | ránhòu | then; after that; afterwards |
| 事情 | shìqing | affair; matter; thing; business |
| 故事 | gùshi | old practice |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | after; later |
| 后来 | hòulái | afterwards; later; newly arrived |
| 好事 | hǎoshì | good action, deed, thing or work (also sarcastic, "a fine thing indeed"); charity |
| 同事 | tóngshì | colleague; co-worker |
| 今后 | jīnhòu | hereafter; henceforth |
Questions about 事后
What does 事后 mean?
事后 (shìhòu) means "after the event; in hindsight" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 事后?
事后 is made of 2 characters: 事 (8 strokes), 后 (6 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 事后 an HSK word?
Yes. 事后 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 事后 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 事后 is written 事後.
What is the difference between 事后 and 以后?
以后 (yǐhòu) means "after" or "in the future" in a general way and can attach to a time or action, as in 下课以后. 事后 stands on its own and refers to the period after a particular event, often with the idea of reflecting on it.
Is there an opposite of 事后?
Yes. 事前 (shìqián) or 事先 (shìxiān) means beforehand, before the event. They often appear in pairs, as in 事先没想到，事后才后悔 (I didn't think of it beforehand and only regretted it afterwards).