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Level

[B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points)

Similar to

- [In the future in general with "yihou"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/In_the_future_in_general_with_%22yihou%22) (A2) - [Expressing "before" and "after" with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22before%22_and_%22after%22_with_%22zhiqian%22_and_%22zhihou%22) (B1) - [Expressing "ever since" with "yilai"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22ever_since%22_with_%22yilai%22) (B1) - [Comparing "yihou" "ranhou" "houlai"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22yihou%22_%22ranhou%22_%22houlai%22) (B2)

Used for

[Sequencing events in time](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Sequencing_events_in_time), [Referring to the past](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Referring_to_the_past), [Expressing order](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_order)

Keywords

[后来](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%90%8E%E6%9D%A5)

[![Chinese-grammar-wiki-houlai.jpg](Sequencing%20past%20events%20with%20%22houlai%22%20-%20Chinese%20Grammar%20Wiki_fichiers/300px-Chinese-grammar-wiki-houlai.jpg "fig:Chinese-grammar-wiki-houlai.jpg"){width="300" height="300"}](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/File:Chinese-grammar-wiki-houlai.jpg)

"⋯⋯, 后来⋯⋯" (..., hòulái...) is used to sequence past events in the same way that "Afterward..." is in English. Something very important to note is that 后来 can only be used with two events **that have already occurred**.

Contents -------- [hide]([# "wikilink")\]

- [1 Structure](#Structure "wikilink") - [2 Examples](#Examples "wikilink") - [3 See also](#See_also "wikilink") - [4 Sources and further reading](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink") - [4.1 Books](#Books "wikilink")

Structure ---------------------------------------------------------

\[Past Event 1\] ，后来，\[Past Event 2\]

Examples ------------------------------------------------------- Here are some examples of this pattern in action:

- 他说他会来，*后来* 又说不来了。Tā shuō tā huì lái, *hòulái* yòu shuō bù lái le.He said he would come, but later he said that he's not coming. - 他们上周吵架了，*后来* 和好了。Tāmen shàng zhōu chǎojià le, *hòulái* hé hǎo le.They had a fight last week, and they made up afterwards. - 他以前是厨师，*后来* 当了老板。Tā yǐqián shì chúshī, *hòulái* dāng le lǎobǎn.He used to be a chef. Afterwards, he became the owner. - 我昨晚走得早，不知道 *后来* 发生了什么。Wǒ zuówǎn zǒu de zǎo, bù zhīdào *hòulái* fāshēng le shénme.I left early yesterday evening, so I don't know what happened afterwards. - 开始我父母不同意，*后来* 他们同意了。Kāishǐ wǒ fùmǔ bù tóngyì, *hòulái* tāmen tóngyì le.My parents disapproved in the beginning, but they approved later. - 空调我上个月修好了，*后来* 又坏了。Kōngtiáo wǒ shàng gè yuè xiū hǎo le, *hòulái* yòu huài le.I fixed the air conditioner last week, but it broke again after that. - 他们在一起差不多三年，*后来* 分手了。Tāmen zài yīqǐ chàbuduō sān nián, *hòulái* fēnshǒu le.They had been together for about three years. But they broke up afterwards. - 她以前是兼职老师，*后来* 做了全职。Tā yǐqián shì jiānzhí lǎoshī, *hòulái* zuò le quánzhí.She used to be a part time teacher. Afterwards, she became full time. - 我的大学老师辞职了，*后来* 去上海做生意了。Wǒ de dàxué lǎoshī cízhí le, *hòulái* qù Shànghǎi zuò shēngyi le.My college teacher quit his job. Afterwards, he went to Shanghai to do business. - 北京以前叫北平，*后来* 改成了北京。 Běijīng yǐqián jiào Běipíng, *hòulái* gǎi chéng le Běijīng.Beijing used to be called Beiping and got changed into Beijing afterwards.

See also ------------------------------------------------------- - [Before and after with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Before_and_after_with_%22zhiqian%22_and_%22zhihou%22) - [Saying "ever since" with "yilai"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Saying_%22ever_since%22_with_%22yilai%22) - [In the future in general](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/In_the_future_in_general) - [Comparing "houlai" and "ranhou"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22houlai%22_and_%22ranhou%22) Sources and further reading --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### Books - [Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Modern_Mandarin_Chinese_Grammar:_A_Practical_Guide) (pp. 267) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2xCpX2m)

[Categories](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Special:Categories): - [B1 grammar points](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Category:B1_grammar_points) - [Time](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/gramwiki/?title=Category:Time&action=edit&redlink=1)

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