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今后 (jīn hòu) — from now on, in the future, hereafter

Definition

今后 means 'from now on' — starting at this moment and continuing forward, like 'henceforth'. 以后 is vaguer ('later/in the future'), while 今后 marks a definite break from now.

noun
from now onin the futurehereafter

Examples

  • 今后。
    jīn hòu Wǒ yào gèng jiā nǔ lì xué xí.
    From now on, I need to study harder.
  • 今后？
    jīn hòu Nǐ dǎ suàn zuò shén me gōng zuò?
    What job do you plan to do from now on?
  • 今后。
    jīn hòu Dà jiā duō bǎo chí lián xì.
    Let's keep in touch from now on.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

今jīnnow
后hòuafter

今后 combines 今, now, with 后, after, to mean from now on.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

One explanation sees the shape as an upside-down mouth with a line below it, giving the idea of not speaking.

Open 今 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4Time (Abstract)

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