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Sequencing past events with 后来 (hòulái)
HSK 3Sequence & Order
Time Expressions
Structure
Earlier Event, 后来 + Later Event
Explanation
后来 (hòulái) means "later" or "afterwards" and is used to sequence events in a past narrative. It introduces what happened next in a story or account, connecting earlier events to subsequent ones. Unlike 以后, which can refer to the future, 后来 is used exclusively for past events.
Examples
小时候我们是邻居，后来他搬到了上海。
Xiǎoshíhòu wǒmen shì línjū, hòulái tā bān dào le Shànghǎi.
When we were kids we were neighbors, and later he moved to Shanghai.
一开始大家都不同意，后来慢慢接受了。
Yī kāishǐ dàjiā dōu bù tóngyì, hòulái mànmàn jiēshòu le.
At first nobody agreed, but later they gradually accepted it.
我们在大学认识的，后来成了最好的朋友。
Wǒmen zài dàxué rènshi de, hòulái chéng le zuì hǎo de péngyǒu.
We met in college, and later became best friends.