Stroke order

後 (Kangxi radical 60,彳+6, 9 strokes,cangjie input竹人女戈水 (HOVIE),four-corner2224₇,composition⿰彳⿱幺夊)

• 䵈,𠷴,𢖕/𢖖

• Kangxi Dictionary:page 366, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10098
• Dae Jaweon: page 688, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 822, character 3
• Unihan data for U+5F8C

Wikipedia has articles on:

• 後姓 /后姓(Chinese)
• Hō͘ (chhek-pêng)(Min Nan)

Historical forms of the character後
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States			Shuowen Jiezi (compiled inHan)		Liushutong (compiled inMing)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Qin slip script	Ancient script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

In oracle bone script, ideogrammic compound (會意 /会意): 幺(“thread”) + 夊(“foot”) – a foot bound by a rope, thus lagging behind. The component彳 was added afterwards to emphasize this action.

Note that the simplified form后 is also a traditional character on its own, with a different meaning.

FromProto-Sino-Tibetan*hwak(“below”) (STEDT). Cognate withTibetanའོག('og,“below”),Burmeseအောက်(auk,“under; below”),Burmeseနောက်(nauk,“behind”) (fromProto-Lolo-Burmese*ʔok(“lower side; below”)).

後

1. behind;rear;back

   後院／后院  ― hòuyuàn  ―  backyard

   背後／背后  ― bèihòu  ―  behind

   Antonym:前(qián)

2. later;after;afterwards

   以後／以后  ― yǐhòu  ―  after

   然後／然后  ― ránhòu  ―  after, afterwards

   畢業後／毕业后  ― bìyèhòu  ―  after graduation

   三天後／三天后  ― sān tiānhòu  ―  after three days

3. last

   後五名／后五名  ― hòu wǔ míng  ―  the last five

4. descendant;offspring

   無後／无后  ― wúhòu  ―  to lack male offspring

   《南部新書》作者錢易，乃吳越王錢鏐之後。[MSC,trad.]
   《南部新书》作者钱易，乃吴越王钱镠之后。[MSC,simp.]

   “Nánbù Xīnshū” zuòzhě Qián Yì, nǎi Wúyuèwáng Qián Liú zhīhòu.[Pinyin]

   Qian Yi, the author ofA New Book in the South, is adescendant ofQian Liu, the King ofWuyue.

5. post-
6. (literary)anus

   寧為雞口，無為牛後[MSC,trad.]
   宁为鸡口，无为牛后[MSC,simp.]

   níngwèijīkǒu，wúwèiniúhòu[Pinyin]

   Better be the beak of a chicken than theanus of an ox (proverb)

7. asurname

• “後”, in漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[2],香港中文大學 (theChinese University of Hong Kong),2014–
• “後”, in教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien),Ministry of Education, R.O.C.,2025.
• Douglas, Carstairs (1873), “後”, inChinese-English Dictionary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Amoy, With the Principal Variations of the Chang-chew and Chin-chew Dialects. (overall work in Hokkien and English), London: Trübner & Co.,page140;New Edition, With Corrections by the Author.,Thomas Barclay,Lîm Iàn-sîn林燕臣, London: Publishing Office of the Presbyterian Church of England,1899,page140

(Second grade kyōiku kanji)

1. behind,after

• Go-on:ぐ(gu)
• Kan-on:こう(kō,Jōyō)
• Tō-on:ご(go,Jōyō)
• Kun:あと(ato,後,Jōyō)、うしろ(ushiro,後ろ,Jōyō)、おくれ(okure,後)、おくれ(okure,後れ)、おくれる(okureru,後れる,Jōyō)、しり(shiri,後)、しりえ(shirie,後え)^{←しりへ(sirife,後へ,historical)}、のち(nochi,後,Jōyō)、ゆり(yuri,後)、うわ(uwa,後)
• Nanori:こし(koshi)、し(shi)、しい(shī)

Originally an extension of跡(あと)(ato,“footprint; leftover”), itself a compound of足(あ)(a,“foot”) +所(と)(to,“place”).^[1][2][3]

• (Tokyo)あと[áꜜtò] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2][4]
• IPA^(key): [a̠to̞]

後(あと)• (ato) 

1. (spatially) theback, therear,behind

   Synonyms:後ろ,後方

   子(こ)犬(いぬ)が後(あと)からついてくる。

   Koinu gaato kara tsuite kuru.

   The puppy will follow behind.

   (literally, “The puppy will follow from theback.”)

2. (temporally)later time,afterwards, sometimeafter thepresent

   Synonym:以後

   後(あと)で連(れん)絡(らく)します。

   Ato de renraku shimasu.

   I'll contact youlater.

   会(かい)議(ぎ)の後(あと) ―kaigi noato ―after the meeting

   1. time afterdeath

      Synonym:死後

3. (inorder) thenextperson orthing

   Antonym:先(saki)

   名(めい)簿(ぼ)の後(あと)の方(かた) ―meibo noato no kata ―thenext one on the roster

   1. instead,in place of

      お後(あと)は何(なに)にしますか。

      O-ato wa nani ni shimasu ka.

      What are you going to doinstead?

   2. successor

      Synonyms:後継者,後任

   3. descendants,offspring

      Synonyms:子孫,後胤

   4. wife ofremarriage

      Synonym:後妻

4. therest; certainpart,space orthingleft

   あとは頼(たの)んだぞ。

   Ato wa tanonda zo.

   I leavethe rest to you.

   1. memory of thedeceased; one'svirtue thatremains afterdeath

      Synonym:名残

      祖(そ)父(ふ)の後(あと)をしのぶ

      Sofu noato o shinobu

      be in memory of Grandfather

後(あと)• (ato) 

1. later,after,from now on

   後(あと)三(さん)分(ぷん)で終(しゅう)了(りょう)します。

   Ato san-pun de shūryō shimasu.

   It will end in three minutes.

   (literally, “It will end three minuteslater.”)

後(あと)• (ato) 

1. afterwards,then

   Synonym:それから

   後(あと)、気(き)付(づ)いたことはありませんか。

   Ato, kizuita koto wa arimasen ka.

   Have you ever noticedafter that?

The連用形(ren'yōkei,“continuative or stem form”) of verb遅れる(okureru,“to be late; to be delayed; to come after something else”). Examples appear from at least the 1300s.^[1]

More commonly spelled with theokurigana.

Uncommon alternative spelling.

FromOld Japanese. Found in theNihon Shoki of 720, and phonetically as志利弊(siripe₁) in theMan'yōshū of 759.^[5]

Compound of尻(shiri,“butt, tail, rear”) +‎方(e,“side, facing, way, direction”).

• (Tokyo)しりえ[shìríéꜜ] (Odaka – [3])^[2]
• (Tokyo)しりえ[shìríé] (Heiban – [0])^[2][4]
• IPA^(key): [ɕiɾʲie̞]

後(しりえ)• (shirie) ^{←しりへ(sirife)?}

1. therear,back, orbackside of something
2. therearward orbackwarddirection
3. the portion of apalace where aqueen or otherfemaleimperialconsort lives

FromOld Japanese. Ultimate derivation unknown.

• (Tokyo)のち[nòchíꜜ] (Odaka – [2])^[2][4]
• (Tokyo)のち[nòchí] (Heiban – [0])^[2][4]
• IPA^(key): [no̞t͡ɕi]

後(のち)• (nochi) 

1. later,afterwards, sometimeafter thepresent

   晴(は)れのち雨(あめ)

   harenochi ame

   rains after sunshine

FromOld Japanese. Ultimate derivation unknown. May be cognate withより(yori,“from; after”).

• IPA^(key): [jɯ̟ɾʲi]

後(ゆり)• (yuri) 

1. (obsolete)later,afterwards, sometimeafter thepresent

FromMiddle Chinese後(huwX, huwH,“after”).

• (Tokyo)ご[gò] (Heiban – [0])^[2][4]
• IPA^(key): [ɡo̞]

後(ご)• (go) 

1. later,afterwards, sometimeafter thepresent

   彼(かれ)は卒業後(そつぎょうご)に結婚(けっこん)します。

   Kare wasotsugyōgo ni kekkonshimasu.

   He is going to get marriedafter the graduation.

   彼(かれ)は卒業後(そつぎょうご)は大阪(おおさか)の会社(かいしゃ)に勤(つと)めます。

   Kare wasotsugyōgo wa Ōsaka no kaisha ni tsutomemasu.

   He is going to work for a company in Osakaafter the graduation.

   卒業後(そつぎょうご)、彼(かれ)は小学校(しょうがっこう)の先生(せんせい)になった。

   Sotsugyōgo, kare wa shōgakkō no sensei ni natta.

   After the graduation, he became a teacher at an elementary school.

後(ご)• (-go) 

1. after

後(ご)• (go-) 

1. latter

Used in theregnal andposthumous names of Japanese Emperors whose name was taken from that of a previous sovereign, similar to Western usage ofregnal numbers.

FromMiddle Chinese後(huwX,“after”). Classified as thekan'on, so likely a later borrowing. Compare modernMandarin readinghòu.

• IPA^(key): [ko̞ː]

後(こう)• (kō-) 

1. prefixing element in kanji compounds, adding a meaning oflater,after,following,rearward

Only used in compounds. Never used in isolation.

• “後”, in漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[3] (in Japanese),The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation,2015–2025

FromMiddle Chinese後 (MC huwX).

• (SK Standard/Seoul)IPA^(key):[ɸʷu(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul:[후(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

KoreanWikisource has texts containing thehanja:

後

後 (eumhun뒤후(dwi hu))

1. hanja form^? of후(“after”)
2. hanja form^? of후(“behind”)

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary,전자사전／電子字典.[5]

後:Hán Nôm readings:hậu

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out andadd a translation, then remove the text{{rfdef}}.

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