Meanings & readings
Meanings & dictionary uses
2 senses · 4 wordsBehind; at the back
Later; after; last
Languages & readings
Choose a recorded reading. Explore other varieties through their reference sources below.
Mandarin
Sense-linked readingsReadings & meanings
Usage scope
Regional and word-specific qualifications remain attached to the sense and vocabulary records.
Cantonese
Selected character readingSource & reading limitations
Jyutping · Unihan 17.0.0
This property supplies a customary character reading for collation and transliteration. It does not list every reading or identify the reading for each word and sense. It also does not encode a separate regional label for each value.
Other Chinese languages & varieties
Reference guides · character readings not yet imported.
Taiwanese Hokkien 臺灣台語Reference sources only
The Ministry of Education dictionary is the reference for Taiwanese vocabulary and readings. Its Tâi-lô guide distinguishes citation tones from changes in connected speech. Other Hokkien varieties require their own sources.
- Reference variety
- Taiwanese Hokkien, with the regional distinctions recorded by Taiwan's Ministry of Education
- Notation
- Tâi-lô (臺羅), as used by the linked MOE dictionary
Hakka 客語Reference sources only
Taiwan's Ministry of Education documents six Hakka varieties separately. Choose the variety before comparing readings; a single undifferentiated Hakka pronunciation would hide meaningful differences.
- Reference variety
- Taiwan: Sixian, Hailu, Dapu, Raoping, Zhao'an and Southern Sixian
- Notation
- Taiwan Hakka Romanization System (臺灣客語拼音方案)
Teochew 潮州話／潮汕話Reference sources only
Explore CUHK's published Chaozhou lexicon and its separate Shantou sound table. These reference locations remain explicit: readings from one locality should not stand in for every Teochew variety.
- Reference variety
- Chaozhou lexicon; separate Shantou syllable-table resource
- Notation
- Source phonetic transcription; no shared local romanization imported
Wu 吳語・上海話Reference sources only
The linked university resource documents Shanghai. Wu also includes other local varieties; Shanghai readings should retain that location label when compared with Mandarin or Cantonese.
- Reference variety
- Shanghai
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Eastern Min 閩東語・福州話Reference sources only
Fuzhou is an Eastern Min reference variety. Its dedicated CUHK sound table offers a starting point; other Eastern Min localities need distinct records and source attribution.
- Reference variety
- Fuzhou
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Gan 贛語・南昌話Reference sources only
Begin with CUHK's Nanchang sound table. The broader Gan group contains local differences, so future readings should identify Nanchang or another documented locality explicitly.
- Reference variety
- Nanchang
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Xiang 湘語・長沙話Reference sources only
Begin with CUHK's Changsha sound table. Keep Changsha separate from other Xiang localities when adding readings; the group name does not denote one uniform pronunciation.
- Reference variety
- Changsha
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Readings in Japanese, Korean & Vietnamese
Readings recorded for 後 in other language traditions. These are character-level records, not word translations or interchangeable pronunciations.
Japanese 日本語
Grouped by the source’s kana notation; no frequency ranking is implied.
On’yomi · katakana
Kun’yomi · hiragana
Katakana generally indicates on’yomi; hiragana generally indicates kun’yomi. The source does not identify everyday, rare, historical or name use per reading. Kana strings are preserved, including any written endings; consult a Japanese word entry for actual use.
Go deeperJisho ↗Wiktionary ↗
Source record & scope
Unicode Unihan 17.0.0 · kJapanese ↗ · provisional property
ゴ コウ のち うしろ あと おくれる しりKorean 한국어
Hanja readings · Hangul
Source codes are separated below. They are neither sounds nor tones; a character reading alone does not specify a whole word’s pronunciation.
Go deeperNaver Hanja ↗Wiktionary ↗
Reading sources explained
- 후
- KS X 1001 (0) · Educational Hanja (E)
Vietnamese Tiếng Việt
Character readings · Quốc ngữ
Vietnamese readings associated with this Han character. This field alone does not establish word meanings, current usage, or a complete account of Hán-Nôm reading traditions.
Go deeperHán Việt (Thi Viện) ↗Wiktionary ↗
Form & structure
Structure & components
3 direct parts- Layout
- complex
- Index radical
- 彳 · 60 · 6 residual strokes
彳 is on the left, with 幺 and a lower foot-like region on the right. These labels describe the current visible shape. The historical roles of those regions are separately attributed in the discussion below. The lower component is labeled 夊 following Taiwan’s Ministry of Education description; regional glyph conventions may differ.
Follow the recorded parts
- recorded boundary
- recorded boundary
- recorded boundary
A boundary means no finer analysis is published here; it does not assert an indivisible unit. Radical classification and component structure are separate.
Inspect the component network ↗Writing
9 strokesModern stroke order; regional conventions can differ. [47]
Words & connections
Examples
2 sentences茶館在書店後面。
茶馆在书店后面。
The teahouse is behind the bookshop.
吃飯以後，我們去散步。
吃饭以后，我们去散步。
After eating, we will go for a walk.
Original editorial sentences. Pinyin uses dictionary tones; connected speech may differ.
Connections
0 phonetic neighboursThis pilot does not link this character to a sound (phonetic) family. Explore the other recorded relationships below.
History & distinctions
Etymology & evidence
2 accountsA foot and a thread-like element
CUHK presents an account in which a foot restrained by a cord suggests falling behind, and describes a movement component being added. It attributes this reading of the elements to earlier scholarship.
An alternative phonetic explanation
The same entry also reports that 幺 may have served as a sound element. The portrait therefore does not present the cord story as the sole settled explanation. Direct comparison with the cited studies remains to be done.
Reading this character · explanatory note
後 covers both position and sequence: 後面 / 后面 is behind or at the back, and 以後 / 以后 means afterward or in the future. Its ordinary Mandarin reading is hòu. Simplified writing uses 后 for these senses, but traditional 后 also exists independently in words such as 皇后, empress. Consequently, converting simplified 后 back to traditional writing requires the whole word and context. Historically, CUHK discusses foot and thread-like elements in 後, with more than one account of their role. That history belongs to 後, not automatically to every word written with modern simplified 后.
Historical specimens remain at their sources. No dated attestation sequence or licensed specimen image is claimed.
Inspect CUHK’s forms and discussion ↗Forms & distinctions
後 → 后 for the behind/after senses: 以後 → 以后. The reverse is contextual. 皇后 remains 皇后 in traditional Chinese because its 后 is the independent ruler or consort character. Never apply a blanket 后 → 後 replacement.
In traditional writing, 后 has its own ruler/consort history and usage; 後 concerns behind or later. In simplified writing, 后 also carries the ordinary 後 senses, so the modern forms overlap contextually.
Historical readings
- Middle Chinese
- huwX · 胡口 反切 · #1955
- Middle Chinese
- huwH · 胡遘 反切 · #3061
Guangyun-based transcriptions · PHONO-ML · CC BY 4.0. These describe historical reading categories, not modern word pronunciation.
Source row & reading categories
CSV line 12120 · huwX = 流開一上侯匣 · huwH = 流開一去侯匣
Automatically generated in the source dataset; the authors checked a subset and acknowledge possible errors. All source readings are retained separately. Notation & method ↗
Sources & reference
Sources & research
5 sourcesLocator & rights
Character entry; 形義通解, 繁簡對應, and cited Shuowen discussion where present · link_only · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
Release 2026-10-12T08:13:53Z. Exact word-reading locators are retained with each WordRecord. · permitted · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
A01287, 字樣說明 · link_only · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
17.0.0 · permitted · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
bddc96d41bef78427ed0e034e9f7e31d71fd1b92 · permitted · 2026-10-12
Open research · 2 items
- The competing historical roles proposed for 幺 have not been adjudicated through independently consulted scholarship.
- Only common modern mapping contexts are illustrated.
Cited claims compared with the consulted entries; no independent expert review recorded.
Readings across dictionaries
- Hanyu Da Zidian
- hòu 20822.030
- Xiandai Hanyu · 1983
- hòu 0468.011
- Mandarin / Cantonese · SMSZD
- hòu粵hau6
Reference desk
- Fanqie spellings
- 胡口 胡遘
- Kangxi positions
- 0366.180
- Guangyun positions
- 325.13 437.35
- GSR references
- 0115a
- Cangjie
- HOVIE
- Four-corner
- 2224.7