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然后 (rán hòu) — then; after that

Definition

然后 is a plain sequence marker: 'and then, after that' — no causal link, just listing steps in order. 接着 also marks the next step in a sequence, while 于是 signals a cause-and-effect result.

conjunction
thenafter that

Examples

  • ，然后。
    Wǒ xiān chī fàn, rán hòu kàn shū.
    I eat first, and then read a book.
  • ，然后。
    Nǐ xiān hē shuǐ, rán hòu chī shuǐ guǒ.
    Drink water first, then eat fruit.
  • ，然后。
    Tā xiān qù xué xiào, rán hòu huí jiā.
    He goes to school first, then goes home.

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.

然ránthat situation
后hòuafter

然 that situation and 后 after combine to mean afterwards.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
肰
肰rán然rán
Same sound today

然 is made from 肰, which gives the sound, and 火, which shows fire, matching the old sense 'to burn'.

Open 然 →

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 →

Grammar

Appears in
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