Usage note
“后”表示时间上比较晚，比如“吃饭后”就是吃完饭以后的时间。
“Hòu” biǎoshì shíjiān shang bǐjiào wǎn, bǐrú “chīfàn hòu” jiùshì chī wán fàn yǐhòu de shíjiān.
“后” is used to talk about a later time, like “after eating” means the time after finishing a meal.
Context note
“后”这个字常常用来表示时间上比较晚，比如一件事情做完之后再做另一件事。
“Hòu” zhège zì chángcháng yòng lái biǎoshì shíjiān shàng bǐjiào wǎn, bǐrú yī jiàn shìqíng zuò wán zhīhòu zài zuò lìng yī jiàn shì.
The word “后” is often used to talk about time, meaning something happens later or after something else, like doing one thing after finishing another.
5 examples
今天先吃饭
Jīntiān xiān chīfàn
Eat first today
做作业后去玩
zuò zuòyè hòu qù wán
Play after doing homework
公园的后面有一片树林
Gōngyuán de hòu miàn yǒu yī piàn sēnlín
Behind the park is a forest
先写信，然后寄出去
xiān xiě xìn, ránhòu jì qùtǐ
Write the letter first, then send it out
图书馆后面是餐厅
Túshūguǎngchǎng hòu miàn shì cāntīng
Behind the library is the dining hall
5 mini stories
妈妈说先吃饭，然后做作业。
Māma shuō xiān chīfàn, ránhòu zuò zuòyè.
Mom says eat first, then do homework.
我们去公园玩，后面看到了一片树林。
Wǒmen qù gōngyuán wán, hòumiàn kàndào le yī piàn sēnlín.
We went to the park to play and then saw a forest behind it.
先写信，然后寄出去。
Xiān xiě xìn, ránhòu jì qùtǐ.
Write the letter first, then send it out.
图书馆后面是餐厅。
Túshūguǎngchǎng hòu miàn shì cāntīng.
Behind the library is the dining hall.
每天先做作业，然后吃饭。
Měitiān xiān zuò zuòyè, ránhòu chīfàn.
Every day do homework first, then eat.
Mini dialogue
放学后
A
放学后你做什么？
Fàngxué hòu nǐ zuò shénme?
What do you do after school?
B
放学后我先写作业。
Fàngxué hòu wǒ xiān xiě zuòyè.
After school, I do homework first.
找东西
A
我的铅笔在哪儿？
Wǒ de qiānbǐ zài nǎr?
Where is my pencil?
B
在书后。
Zài shū hòu.
Behind the book.
Related words and contrasts
opposite
前
qián
front; before
前 means in front or before, the opposite of 后 (behind/after).
similar
后面
hòumiàn
back; behind
后面 is a common word for the back or behind something.
related
以后
yǐhòu
after; later
以后 is used to talk about a time after now or after an event.