Definitions
(adverb)
after; behind; later
(noun)
queen; empress
Etymology
Depicts a queen mother (母) giving birth to her heir (𠫓). Based on the original meaning "heir to the throne". The meaning later expanded to "ruler", "successor", and "after".
About
The character 后 initially functioned as a designation for a sovereign or royal consort, specifically the queen, with its structural composition in the traditional form conveying a sense of authority and command. Over extended periods, its semantic field broadened when it was orthographically merged with the character 後, which historically expressed the spatial and temporal concept of "behind" or "after". This integration resulted in 后 acquiring a dual semantic role, where it now carries both its original regal meaning and the directional meaning, with interpretation reliant on contextual clues within the language.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我坐在后面。
放学后我回家。
然后他笑了。
雨后天空很蓝。
门后有一把伞。
她坐在我的后面。
考试后，我觉得轻松。
在未来的后工业时代，技术将主导一切。