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<p>One of the most often confused words are 后来 (hòulái) and 然后 (ránhòu). They are similar on the surface, meaning something like &quot;and then,&quot; but their usage is fairly different.</p>
<h2 id="后来-is-used-to-describe-previous-things">后来 is used to describe previous things</h2>
<p>后来 is a time noun, and it can only be used on its own. It describes a certain time period in the past to the present, and it allows the speaker to described what happened in that period.</p>
<h3 id="structure">Structure</h3>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Part A，后来， Part B</p>
</div>
<h3 id="examples">Examples</h3>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>1977 年 他 考上 了 大学，<em>后来</em> 就 没 回 过 老家。<span class="trans">In 1977, he went to college. He didn't come back to his hometown after that.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="然后-is-used-to-describe-things-happens-next">然后 is used to describe things happens next</h2>
<p>然后 is always used in a sequence. It is often used with <a href="Sequencing_with_&quot;xian&quot;_and_&quot;zai&quot;" title="wikilink">先 (xiān, meaning &quot;first&quot;)</a>.</p>
<h3 id="structure-1">Structure</h3>
<div class="jiegou">
<p>Action 1，然后 + Action 2</p>
</div>
<h3 id="examples-1">Examples</h3>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>我们 先 去 吃饭 ， <em>然后</em> 去 超市 。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒmen xiān qù chīfàn, <em>ránhòu</em> qù chāoshì.</span><span class="trans">I'm going to eat, then I'll go to the supermarket.</span></li>
<li>他 先 说 了 一 个 好 消息 ， <em>然后</em> 又 说 了 一 个 坏 消息 。 <span class="pinyin">Tā xiān shuō le yī gè hǎo xiāoxi, <em>ránhòu</em> yòu shuō le yī gè huài xiāoxi.</span><span class="trans">First he told the good news, then he told the bad news.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="examples-of-right-and-wrong-sentences">Examples of right and wrong sentences</h2>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>我们 想 先 去 美国， <em>后来</em> 去 加拿大。</li>
<li>我们 想 先 去 美国， <em>然后</em> 去 加拿大。</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="example-dialog">Example dialog</h2>
<div class="liju">
<ul>
<li>A: 我 先 去 你 家，<em>然后</em> 你 和 我 一起 去 见 她？<span class="trans">First I'll go to your house, then you and I can go together to see her.</span></li>
<li>B: 对。你们 几 年 没 见 了？<span class="trans">Sure. How many years has it been that you haven't seen each other?</span></li>
<li>A:两 年 前 她 出国 了， <em>后来</em> 就 一直 没 见过 她。<span class="trans">She left the country two years ago. Since then, I haven't seen her.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2>
<h3 id="books">Books</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="对外汉语教学语法释疑201例" class="uri" title="wikilink">对外汉语教学语法释疑201例</a> (p.7) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345693275&amp;sr=8-1">→buy</a></li>
<li><a href="现代汉语八百词（增订本）" class="uri" title="wikilink">现代汉语八百词（增订本）</a> (然后 pp. 461) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%85%AB%E7%99%BE%E8%AF%8D/dp/B001198GSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345693275&amp;sr=8-1">→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<h3 id="dictionaries">Dictionaries</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="现代汉语词典（第5版）" class="uri" title="wikilink">现代汉语词典（第5版）</a> (后来 pp. 570) <a href="http://www.amazon.cn/%E7%8E%B0%E4%BB%A3%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%8D%E5%85%B8/dp/B001B1RZCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1345693609&amp;sr=8-1">→buy</a></li>
</ul>
<p>         </p>
<p><a href="Category:grammar_comparison" title="wikilink">Category:grammar comparison</a></p>