The character 后 — “behind”: how to write it and what it means
behind, after
The Chinese character 后 is read hòu and means “behind, after”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 后
后 has 6 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 后, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 后
- 后面behind, back sideHSK 2
- 以后after; laterHSK 3
- 后来later, afterwardsHSK 3
- 最后last; in the endHSK 3
- 后天day after tomorrowHSK 3
- 后年year after nextHSK 3
- 然后thenHSK 3
- 后悔regretHSK 4
- 前后around (a date); before and afterHSK 4
- 今后from now on, in the futureHSK 4
- 之后after (lit.)HSK 4
- 此后after thisHSK 5
- 背后behind one's back, behindHSK 5
- 随后right after thatHSK 5
- 先后in turn; at different timesHSK 5
- 后果consequencesHSK 5
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 后?
后 has 6 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 后 mean?
后 means “behind, after”. It appears in 后面 (“behind”), 以后 (“after”), 后来 (“later”), 最后 (“last”).
How do you pronounce 后?
后 is read hòu. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 后 have?
6 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 后 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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