Meaning of 往后
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- from now on
- in the future
- time to come
How to use 往后
往后 talks about the period starting now and stretching into the future, often with a sense of plans or changes. It usually sits at the start of a sentence. Example: 往后我会更小心。(Wǎnghòu wǒ huì gèng xiǎoxīn.) From now on I will be more careful.
往 (wǎng) means toward, and 后 (hòu) means after or later. Put them together and you are heading toward what comes after, so 往后 means from now on, in the time to come.
Common mistake: Learners often use 往后 like 以后 (yǐhòu) for a single later point, as in 吃饭往后. That is wrong. Use 吃饭以后 for after eating, and keep 往后 for the whole stretch of time from now on.
往后 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.
往 wǎng · to go · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
后 hòu · back · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 往后.
| 最后 | zuìhòu | final; last; ultimate; finally; in the end |
| 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 |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | after; later |
| 后来 | hòulái | afterwards; later; newly arrived |
| 今后 | jīnhòu | hereafter; henceforth |
| 后面 | hòumiàn | the back; the rear; the last bit; behind; near the end; at the back |
| 背后 | bèihòu | behind; at the back |
| 前往 | qiánwǎng | to leave for; to proceed towards; to go to |
| 交往 | jiāowǎng | to associate (with); to have contact (with) |
| 后果 | hòuguǒ | consequences; aftermath |
Questions about 往后
What does 往后 mean?
往后 (wǎnghòu) means "from now on; in the future" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 往后?
往后 is made of 2 characters: 往 (8 strokes), 后 (6 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 往后 an HSK word?
Yes. 往后 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 往后 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 往后 is written 往後.
Can 往后 also mean moving backward?
Yes. In a physical sense, 往后 can mean toward the back, as in 往后退 (wǎng hòu tuì), step back. Context tells you whether it is about space or future time.
What is the difference between 往后 and 后来?
后来 (hòulái) is used for events that already happened later in the past. 往后 looks forward from the present into the future, so you would not use it to tell a past story.