Taxonomy of meanings for 後:　　

Additional information about 後

說文解字: 【後】，遲也。从彳、幺，夊者，後也。 〔小徐本無「彳」。〕 【徐鍇曰：幺，猶𦌾躓之也。】 【胡口切】 【𨒥】，古文後从辵。

Criteria
• METHOD
  

  1. The most general word for method or technique is shù 術, and the professional technique here referred is typically publicly accessible.

  2. Fāng 方 refers to a professional and often esoteric and/or recondite skill or trick.

  3. Fǎ 法 is a regular rule-governed procedure governing the proper exercise of a skill.

  4. Dào 道 is a way of being as well as a way of doing things, and this Way may be either exoteric or esoteric.

  5. Duān 端 refers to a basic method or the important features of a method.

  學有次第而後大成 "When study has method, only then will it greatly succeed." ( 宋. 歐陽修 )

• DESPISE
  

  1. The most widely used general word for contempt is qīng 輕 (ant. zhòng 重 "rate as important"), and the word typically describes an attitude based on a critical judgment. See also UNIMPORTANT

  2. Yì 易 (ant. zhòng 重 "treat as important") focusses on the subjective failure to take someone or something seriously and does not necessarily involve a critical judgment.

  3. Bēi 卑 (ant. zūn 尊 "venerate as distinguished") refers to regarding a person as characterised by his or her low social standing.

  4. Jiàn 賤 (guì 貴 "hold in high esteem" and jìng 敬 "respect") are to regard someone as vulgar, and typically as of slight moral worth.

  5. Hòu 後 (ant. xiān 先 "put first") is to fail to show proper respect for someone.

  6. Xiǎo 小 and shǎo 少 (ant. duō 多 "rate highly") expresses a negative judgment on the significance of a person or thing.

  7. Ào 傲 adds the nuance of arrogance to the notion of contempt.

  8. Miè 蔑 "to regard someone with no respect" describes a purely psychological attitude.

  9.Mà4n 慢 refers to a demonstrative failure to show proper respect for someone.

  10. Dú 瀆 refers to a disrespectful attitude or disregard for someone or something.

• BEHIND
  

  1. The standard term is hòu 後 (ant. qián 前 "before") which has both temporal and spatial meanings, the spatial meaning being the primary one. The term has no competitors in the spatial sphere.

• LATE
  

  1. The current general word for lateness is hòu 後 (ant. xiān 先 "earlier"), and this word refers to anything that comes later in time than something else.

  2. Yàn 晏 (ant. zǎo 早 "early") refers to a time later that what is acceptable.

  3. Wǎn 晚 (ant. zǎo 早 "early") can refer a point in time much later than presupposed, or a time much later than the previous event.

  4. Chí 遲 (ant. zǎo 早 "early") refers to a failure to make the speed required of one.

• CHINESE LANGUAGE
  

  1. guānhuà 官話 "Mandarin" is obsolete, and its traditional antonym was xiāngyǔ 鄉語 "local speech".

  From Míng Dynasty times, this was a current word for the common vernacular language used by administrative staff of any kind throughout China.

  DC: 明何良俊《四友齋叢說 ‧ 史十一》： " 雅宜不喜作鄉語，每發口必官話。 "

  2. báihuà 白話 "plain speech, vernacular" (as opposed to wényán 文言 )

  This is a modern word referring to an easily accessible written version of the Chinese language. In classical contexts or early vernacular contexts the expression always seems to refer to "empty talk" rather than the vernacular language.

  3. guóyǔ 國語 "national language" (ant. wàiyǔ 外語 ) (pre-1950ies and Taiwan)

  A word that continues to be in increasing common use even in Mainland China today, and which is standard in places like Malaysia or Singapore, as well as in Taiwan.

  4. zhōngguóyǔ 中國語 "language of China" (ant. wàiguóyǔ 外國語 )

  Current Japanese way of writing the Japanese word for the Chinese language, but the expression has a long history in China, the first attested use being in Yáng Xióng's Model Sayings of the first century BC.

  5. pǔtōnghuà 普通話 "common language" (Mainland China) (ant. dìfāngyǔ 地方語, fāngyán 方言 "dialect (not in the ancient meaning)")

  This is a very common modern expression which corresponds to Greek koinē, and the word is always used in counterdistinction to (often mutually incomprehensible) dialects. The word has a rather political flair.

  6. Hànyǔ 漢語 "language of the Hàn people" (should include all dialects, but is often used otherwise)

  This is the most current word for the Chinese language as opposed to other 族語 "national languages". The word is very current in the Buddhist Tripitaka, but it is also attested elsewhere 庾信《奉和法筵應詔》： " 佛影胡人記，經文漢語翻。 ". The term is also attested in 世說新語.

  7. Zhōngguóhuà 中國話 "Chinese speech" (includes all dialects)

  This word is always used in counterdistinction to foreign languages. It has become current in international contexts in nineteenth century novels.

  8. Zhōngwén 中文 "Chinese (typically written) language" (ant. wàiwén 外文, often icludes speech: 會說中文 )

  This word is already attested in the medieval 搜神記, where it refers to the written language. In Modern Standard Chinese this is a very common way of referring to Chinese as opposed to foreign languages, and as a subject in school curricula.

  9. Huáyǔ 華語 "Chinese talk" (used mainly in Singapore, Hong Kong etc.)

  This word has a long history in Buddhist texts, and it is also already attested in 劉知幾《史通 ‧ 言語》： "... 必諱彼夷音，變成華語.

  10. Hànyīn 漢音 "Han-Chinese sounds" refers to the Chinese language in a poetic style. Sanskrit is currently referred to as 梵音.

  HD sub verbo 漢文： 2. 漢語；漢字。南朝梁僧祐《梵漢譯經音義同异記》： " 或善梵義而不了漢音，或明漢文而不曉梵意。 "

  HD: 2. 指漢語。南朝宋朱廣之《咨顧道士＜夷夏論＞》： " 想茲漢音，流入彼國。 "

  老子漢人也。

  新修科分六學僧傳 R133_p0714a04(02)║

  胡蕃國也。土地不同。則言音亦異。當其化胡成佛之際。為作漢音耶。作蕃音耶。苟以漢音。則蕃國有所不解。以蕃音。則此經之至。宜須翻譯。

  11. Hàn yán 漢言 "Hàn language, language of the Hàn Dynasty> Chinese" (ant. 胡言 or 胡語 ) is a historico-ethnographic term.

  This remained a very common way of referring to the Chinese language long after the Hàn Dynasty, as is clear from the Buddhist Tripitaka. (424 occurrences in CBETA.)

  T25n1512_p0835b29(05)║

  胡言般若波羅蜜。

  漢言智慧彼岸也

  T48n2023_p1095c25(00)║

  志曰。

  佛者。 Buddha

  漢言覺也。 is "the enlightened" in Hàn language"

  將以覺悟群生也。 He will bring enlightenment to the sentient beings.

  12. Wényán 文言 "literary Chinese" (ant. báihuà 白話 "plain vernacular") today refers to a modernised version of traditional classical Chinese, as used for example in letters. But in the Buddhist Tripitaka, for example, the phrase regularly refers to ornate Chinese, ornate formulations. Neither traditionally nor in modern times is 文言 used in counterdistinction to foreign languages: the contrast is with other varieties of Chinese.

  DC: 4. 別於白話的古漢語書面語。蔡元培《在國語傳習所的演說》： " 文言上還有例句，如 ' 爾無我詐，我無爾虞 ' 等。 "

  13. wényánwén 文言文 "literary Chinese writing" (ant. báihuàwén 白話文 ) refers to classical Chinese as it continues to be used in the introductions to books and in formal letter-writing.

  This is a twentieth century word, as far as I can see.

  14. báihuà-wén 白話文 "plain talk writing" (ant. wényánwén 文言文 ) is a term with a strong stylistic nuance.

  This is a twentieth century word.

  15. tōngyòngyǔ 通用語 "general use language".

  This is a twentieth century neologism designed to replace 普通話. The term has never achieved broad use.

  16. dàzhòngyǔ 大眾語 "mass language" is obsolete today.

  This is a politicised ideological concept stressing the universal use and popularity of the Chinese language as advocated by language politicians. It is a twentieth century political neologism.

  17. guówén 國文 "state writing" refers in a formal way to written Chinese.

  This is a twentieth century term mainly used in connection with educational politics.

  HD: 許地山《東野先生》： “ 這不是國文教科書底一課麼？ ”

  18. Hàn wén 漢文 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Hàn (typically written) language"

  HD: 2. 漢語；漢字。南朝梁僧祐《梵漢譯經音義同异記》： " 或善梵義而不了漢音，或明漢文而不曉梵意。 "

  19. Zhōngguó wénzì 中國文字 "the Chinese (written) language"

  T49n2036_p0477a06(03)║　

  中國文字未通。蓋不可知也。

  R110_p0542b01(05)║

  偈語原必有韻譯以中國文字。則無可協。

  R110_p0542b09(00)║

  流入東土後。以中國文字經為尊稱。故亦稱經。

  20. Huá yán 華言 is an obsolete traditional term for Chinese that comes over 1200 times in Taisho Tripitaka.

  R150_p0541a 13(00)║

  剌麻者。乃西域之尊稱。

  譯華言為無上二字。

  R149_p0695a 12(00)║

  梵語阿修羅。亦云阿素洛。

  又云阿須倫。

  華言非天。

  R149_p0718b05(03)║

  梵語袈裟華言壞色衣。

  21. dōngtǔ Huáxiàyán 東土華夏言 "Chinese language in the eastern regions" is an ad hoc periphrastic expression which one might insist was never lexicalised, but it is perhaps worth recording just as well, if only in order to

  R059_p0119b04(00)║

  梵語。西天梵國語也。

  華言。東土華夏言也。

  譯者翻也。

  謂翻梵天之語。轉成漢地之言也。

  22. Hàn'ér yányǔ 漢兒言語 "Hàn language" is a term that is current in Korean textbooks of colloquial Chinese, like the famous 老乞大 : “ 你是高麗人，卻怎麼漢兒言語說的好。 ” See also the article in 太田辰夫《漢語史通考 · 關於漢兒言語》

  23. Jìn wén 晉文 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Jìn (typically written) language" is fairly rare, but clear examples are easily found:

  T50n2059_p0326c12(02)║

  還歸中夏。

  自燉煌至長安。

  沿路傳譯寫為晉文。

  24. Jìn yán 晉言 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Language of the Jìn" is common indeed, but many examples can be read technically as "in Jìn this translates as". Not however in this example:

  於龜茲國金華祠。

  T14n0434_p0105ā6(01)║　

  演出此經。譯梵音為晉言。

  T33n1693_p0001ā7(01)║

  斯經似安世高譯。為晉言也。 (punctuation probably wrong!)

  25. Jìn yǔ 晉語 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Speech of the Jìn"

  T50n2059_p0329ā2(00)║

  手執梵文口宣晉語。

  T55n2145_p0072b24(03)║

  先誦本文。

  然後乃譯為晉語。

  26. Jìn yīn 晉音 "Jìn Dynasty speech"

  T14n0434_p0105á1(00)║

  沙門慧海者。通龜茲語。

  善解晉音。

  林復命使譯龜茲語為晉音。

  T50n2060_p0634á6(02)║

  外國語云阿耨菩提。

  晉音翻之無上大道。

  27. Qín yán 秦言 "Qín language> Chinese" is the standard way of providing Chinese translations for Sanskrit words in the Buddhist Tripitaka. (No less than 1132 examples in CBETA, but mostly formulaic, as in the following examples.)

  答曰。摩訶秦言大。 "maha is "big"in Chinese"

  T25n1509_p0383á2(03)║

  今問摩訶薩義。摩訶者秦言大。

  28. Qín yǔ 秦語 "Speech of the Qín > Chinese"

  In the Buddhist Tripitaka, this is a very formal term for Chinese, not very common. (Only 22 occurrences in CBETA)

  T26n1543_p0771b02(08)║

  梵本十五千七十二首盧 ( 四十八萬二千五百四言 ) 。

  秦語十九萬五千二百五十言。

  T51n2068_p0053c09(05)║

  什自手執胡經。

  口譯秦語曲從方言而趣不乖本。

  T51n2068_p0054á9(07)║

  什自執梵本口譯秦語。

  T55n2145_p0072b07(28)║

  胡本十五千七十二首盧 ( 四十八萬二千三百四言 ) 秦語十九萬五千二百五十言

  T55n2145_p0073c09(02)║

  胡本一萬一千七百五十二首盧長五字也。

  凡三十七萬六千六十四言也。

  秦語為十六五千九百七十五字。

  29. Táng wén 唐文 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Táng (typically written) language"

  This is the standard way of referring to the written Chinese language in Buddhist texts of the Táng dynasty.

  R130_p0664b06(02)║

  以華言唐文刻釋氏經典

  T39n1797_p0803b21(10)║

  不得梵文依唐文得意亦同。

  T48n2025_p1160a24(08)║

  唐文多對偶當盡翻譯。

  T50n2060_p0614c17(05)║

  有天竺三藏大齎梵本擬譯唐文。

  R024_p0177a16(02)║　

  語精梵言。

  雖亦兼美唐文。

  乍來恐未盡善。

  30. Táng yán 唐言 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Language of the Táng".

  1523 occurrences in CBETA. Occasionally, one wonders whether this does refer to Táng time Chinese whereas Hànyīn 漢音 does not:

  T20n1177Ap0724c02(01)║

  遂將得舊翻譯唐言漢音經本在寺。

  31. Táng yǔ 唐語 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Speech of the Táng"

  A fairly rare way of referring to the Chinese language in Táng Buddhist texts. (Only 18 occurrences in CBETA)

  R014_p0563a14(02)║

  印度罽賓皆未詳唐語。

  R036_p0985a16(18)║　　　　

  又多兩重怗文當知初依梵文後釋唐語

  T30n1579_p0283c07(05)║

  三藏法師玄奘。

  敬執梵文譯為唐語。

  32. Táng yīn 唐音 "Táng speech" is a regular expression for Táng Dynasty Chinese in the Buddhist Tripitaka.

  R036_p0584b13600)

  梵語本是兩名唐音無以甄別

  R066_p0717b08(01)║

  此偈乃是梵語訛言。

  傳者將為唐音正字。

  33. Tánghuà 唐話 "Táng talk" is a current Cantonese term for Chinese, and the famous intellectual 許地山 writes: 他說的雖是唐話，但是語格和腔調全是不對的。 But in this phrase, I am instructed by my teacher and friend Jiǎng Shàoyú, Táng refers not to the dynasty but to 唐山.

  34. Dà Táng yǔ 大唐語 "Speech of the Great Táng Dynasty" is rarely attested, but the word does exist:

  R150_p1055b17(00)║

  若僧雖是新羅人。却會大唐語。 Monk Ruò was a person from Xīnluó, but he spoke the language of the Great Táng Dynasty.

  35. Hàn 漢 is an abbreviation for Hànyǔ 漢語 currently used in Buddhist translation theory, but the word is not in itself a term for the Chinese language outside such technical contexts.

  T21n1293_p0378c15(02)║　

  翻梵為漢 Translate the Sanskrit into Chinese.

  R068_p0353b05(05)║

  梵是天竺之言。

  漢是此土之語。

  R133_p0623b09(07)║

  序以條列梵漢旨義。

  R005_p0007b03(02)║

  翻譯之家自有規准。 The specialists in translation have their own standards.

  若名梵漢共有。 If a term exists both in Sanskrit and in Chinese

  則敵對而翻。 than they just match the terms up in translation.

  36. Táng 唐 "language of the Táng Dynsasty.

  梵唐

  T54n2133Ap1196b12(02)║　

  一曰義淨撰梵語千字文。

  或名梵唐千字文。

  T55n2176_p1118a01(00)║　

  梵唐對譯阿彌陀經一卷 ( 仁 )

  This is the same as 梵唐語：

  T55n2176_p1118b20(00)║　

  梵唐語對註譯大佛頂真言一卷

  T55n2176_p1119c19(18)║

  梵唐對譯法花二十八品

  T55n2176_p1120a05(00)║　

  梵唐對譯金剛般若經二卷

  T55n2176_p1131a06(00)║　

  梵唐文字一卷

  37. Jìn 晉 "the language of the Jìn Dynasty.

  The term is rarely used to refer directly to the language, unlike the common Táng 唐. But examples do exist:

  T55n2157_p0795c08(08)║

  既學兼梵晉故譯義精允。

  38. nèidìhuà 內地話 refers to the language spoken on the Mainland, and the word is mostly used on Taiwan. This term represents an outsider's view on the Chinese language. (2.9 million hits in Google! This important word was brought to my attention by Jens Østergaard Petersen.)

  39. shénzhōu yǔ 神州語 "the language of our divine land" is quaint, nationalistically sentimental, and a rare way of referring to the Chinese language.

  beijing.kijiji.cn/á1221463.html:

  心中一暖，想到他居然會說神州語，正要說些甚麼，但一開口，嘴部動作牽動喉嚨，...

  40. zúyǔ 族語 "the national language (of the Chinese) is a borderline case because the term refers to national languages in general, and only by extension to Chinese in particular.

  42. Hàn dì zhī yán 漢地之言 "language of the Ha4n territory" is a marginal periphrastic expression which one should probably not regard as a lexicalised item. One could study such periphrastic expressions separately from the lexicalised vocabulary.

  R059_p0119b06(06)║

  謂翻梵天之語。轉成漢地之言也。

  [43. jīngpiànzi 京片子 "Chinese as spoken in Peking" is a borderline case because it does refer to Peking speech, but not insofar as it is the standard for the whole of China. Colloquial examples of this sort could be multiplied...]

• IN FRONT
  

  1. The current word for "before in space" is qián 前 (ant. hòu 後 "behind"), and the word does not seem to have competitors.

• DESCENDANT
  

  1. The general current and common abstract term for offspring is hòu 後 (ant. xiān 先 "forbears").

  2. Yì 裔 (ant. zǔ 祖 "ancestors"), a fairly rare word in pre-Buddhist texts, can refer to any offspring of a clan or occasionally a people.

  3. Zhòu 冑 refers to royal offspring.

  4. Yìn 胤 refers to distant offspring.

  5. Zòng 從 (ant. dí 嫡 "direct heirs") refers to the younger generation members of the same clan who do not immediately inherit.

  6. Zǐ 子 refers to children of any sex. See CHILD

  7. Sūn 孫 refers to all descendants lower than the generation of children.

  8. Shù 庶 and niè 孽 (ant. zhèng 正 "descendant in direct line") refer to offspring by other women than the main wife.

  9. Dí 嫡 / 適 (ant. zòng 從 "descendants who are not heirs") refers specifically to the direct legitimate heir.

  10. Zǐ zhí 子姪 is a general term for descendants.

  11. Zǐ xìng 子姓 specifically refers to the sons and grandsons.

• FOLLOW
  

  1. The dominant current word for moving along behind someone or something else, both in concrete and in abstract senses, is cóng 從 (ant. bèi 背 "be in opposition against").

  2. Suí 隨 is to move along literally behind someone, by a deliberate act of volition.

  3. Zūn 遵 refers primarily to the kind of deliberate following of a path, behaviour that is motivated by respect for what one follows, but sometimes the word is also used in a more generalised way referring to a person following a certain physical guideline without any suggestion of respect for this guideline, as in MENG 遵海而南 "head south along the shore of the sea".

  4. Xún 循 is to follow certain guidelines or a certain prescribed path, as a matter of prudential strategy, and typically in a rather mechanical or habitual manner.

  5. Yǎn 沿 is to follow a physical guideline (like a river bank) in a mechanical way.

  6. Hòu 後 and zhǒng 踵 is to follow literally in the footsteps of someone.

  7. Tīng 聽 refers to the abstract notion of following advice given to one as a superior. See OBEY

  8. Yì 役 and xùn 徇 are fairly rare when used as words referring to the deliberate act of becoming someone's follower or employee.

  9. Xí 襲 refers to a mechanical course of action in conformity with some pattern.

  10. Zé 則 refers to the following of a certain abstract principle or model person to which due attention is paid. See CONFORM

• FUTURE
  

  1. The current general word for the immediate future is jiāng 將 (ant. yǐ 已 "already") which refers freely to any part of the future, distant or imminent.

  2. Qiě 且 (ant. jì 既 "already") refers to immiment and immediate future. See SOON.

  3. Yù 欲 comes to be used as a neutral indicator of the likely future so that we are not likely to find bì yù 必欲 ever coming to mean "will surely, will necessarily".

  4. Yǐ 以 "in order to" is restricted to subordinate clauses and refers specifically to the intended future.

  5. The most current and general word for the nominalised notion of the future is probably lái 來 (ant. wǎng 往 "the past").

  6. Hòu 後 (ant. qíán 前 "earlier times") often refers to what comes afterwards, the future.

  7. Wèi 未 "not yet" is sometimes -very rarely- used as a noun to refer to the future. NB: yǐ 已 is never used as an antonym.

• HEIR
  

  1. The most current general and neutral word referring to an heir is sì 嗣.

  2. Dí 嫡 / 適 (ant. shù 庶 "offspring by a woman other than one's main wife") emphasises the legitimacy of the succession.

  3. Hòu 後, zhòu 冑, and yìn 胤 are vague and include all offspring.

  4. Tài zǐ 太子 refers specifically to the formally established and declared heir apparent to a king or an emperor.

  5. Shì zǐ 世子 refers to the formally established and declared heir apparent of a duke, king or emperor.

• ONLY THEN
  

  1. Rán hòu 然後 and ér hòu 而後 typically focus on the logical or causal need of A happening (before B can happen), i.e. the new element tends to be A, and A is considered as a GENERAL logical or causal precondition for B.

  2. Fāng 方 means "not before then, only then", and the focus is simply on the concrete temporal sequence of events in which A precedes B.

  3. Nǎi 乃 is specifically "then and only then" and focusses on the concrete event B happening happening at last (after A).

• ANCESTOR
  

  [ARCHAIC/CURRENT]

  [+FIG/LITERAL]

  [FEMALE/MALE]

  [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

  1. Zǔ 祖 (ant. hòu 後 "offspring") is the current general term for genetic literal ancestors.

  [CURRENT], [LITERAL], [MALE]

  2. Xiān 先 (ant. hòu 後 "offspring") refers even more generally to predecessors, but may specifically refer to ancestors, and the term is often used adjectivally.

  [CURRENT], [DERIVED], [GENERAL], [MALE]

  3. Zōng 宗 is the specific term referring to founding highest ancestor recognised within a clan.

  [CURRENT], [MALE], [SPECIFIC]

  4. Mǔ 母 is sometimes used to refer to femals ancestors.

  [ARCHAIC], [FEMALE]

  5. 考

  6. 妣 refers to the maternal line ancestor

• BACKWARDS
  

  後

• PRECEDE
  

  1. The current word for being first or coming first in time, or for being first in the order of importance, is xiān 先 (ant. hòu 後 "later").

  2. Chū 初 (ant. zú 卒 "finally" and zhōng 終 "end") refers to the very first stage in a historical development, and the word never has any abstract reference to an order of importance. See also BEGIN

  3. Shǒu 首 (ant. mò 末 "final point"(and sometimes in nominal usages wěi 尾 "tail end")) sometimes refers to the first person to do something important.

• ADVANCE
  

  [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

  1. The standard general word for physically going or moving forward is jìn 進 (ant. tuì 退 "withdraw backwards").

  [GENERAL]

  2. Qián 前 (ant. hòu 後 "move backwards") refers to the movement forward and into the position in front of someone.

  [SPECIFIC]

• THEREUPON
  

  [BRIEF/LONG]

  [DRAMATIC/UNDRAMATIC]

  [EMPHATIC/UNEMPHATIC]

  [NOUN/VERB/PARTICLE/CLAUSE]

  1. The current general word for "thereupon" is yú shì 於是 "at that point, then, thereupon" with its expanded variant yú shì hū 於是乎, but these expressions do not allow for any long delay.

  2. Yǒu jiān 有間 (ant.* xuǎn 旋／還 "without delay", dùn 頓 "immediately, without hesitation") refers to a brief interval of a certain time which ensues, and after which something new happens in the narrative sequence.

  [BRIEF], [UNDRAMATIC], [UNEMPHATIC]; [CLAUSE]

  3. Yǒu qǐng 有頃 (ant. è ér 俄而 "without delay", lì 立 "without delay") is "after a while" and the interval is perhaps a little longer than in yǒu jiān 有間, and this expression also refers to a plain narrative sequence.

  [BRIEF], [UNDRAMATIC], [UNEMPHATIC]; [CLAUSE]

  4. Yǐ ér 已而 (ant. qián cǐ 前此 "before this point in time") refers with emphasis to a longer than expected interval after a certain time.

  [LONG], [DRAMATIC], [EMPHATIC]; [PARTICLE]

  5. Jū 居 (as in jū sān yuè 居三月 "after three months") and the rarer chǔ 處 serve simply to indicate a specified interval after a certain time after which something else happens.

  [VERB], [UNDRAMATIC], [UNEMPHATIC]

  6. Jì 既 (ant. wèi jí 未及 "before even...") focusses dramatically on the fact that an action B does not occur before the action A is completed.

  [BRIEF], [DRAMATIC], [EMPHATIC]; [PARTICLE]

  7. Rán hòu 然後 (ant. yǐ qián 以前 "before") emphasises that an event occurs no sooner than after a certain event or space of time. See ONLY THEN.

  [BRIEF], [DRAMATIC], [EMPHATIC]; [PARTICLE]

  8. Ér hòu 而後 (ant. yǐ qián 以前 "before") emphasises that an event occurs no sooner than after a certain event or space of time. See ONLY THEN.

  [BRIEF], [EMPHATIC]; [PARTICLE]

  9. Xū yú 須臾 stresses that an event occurred immediately after another.

  [BRIEF+]; [nadS]

  10. Hòu 後 (ant. qián 前 "before") is a general word indicating that something happens later than something else.

Word relations
• Ant: (LAST)先 / 先/PRECEDE The current word for being first or coming first in time, or for being first in the order of importance, is xiān 先 (ant. hòu 後 "later"). 4 Attributions
• Ant: (LAST)初/BEGIN Chū 初 (ant. mò 末 "end") is purely chronological and refers to the early stage of something that persists, without indicating any lasting influence of that early stage on later developments. See FIRST
• Ant: (BEHIND)前/IN FRONT The current word for "before in space" is qián 前 (ant. hòu 後"behind"), and the word does not seem to have competitors. 3 Attributions
• Ant: (LATE)前/EARLY
• Ant: (THEREUPON)本/ORIGINALLY The general word is běn 本 (ant. jìng 竟 "in the end") and refers to the crucial and formative early stage in any development.
• Ant: (FUTURE)現/NOW1 Attribution
• Ant: (FUTURE)前/PAST1 Attribution
• Ant: (FUTURE)/1 Attribution
• Epithet: (LATE)世/GENERATION The dominant general word for a generation is shì 世, and this word has strong temporal connotations referring to the period of one generation, and the word has a certain syntactic flexibility. Sān shì 三世 refers to three generations. 2 Attributions
• Assoc: (HEIR)嗣/HEIR The most current general and neutral word referring to an heir is sì 嗣.
• Assoc: (LATE)世/GENERATION The dominant general word for a generation is shì 世, and this word has strong temporal connotations referring to the period of one generation, and the word has a certain syntactic flexibility. Sān shì 三世 refers to three generations. 1 Attribution
• Oppos: (BEHIND)首/HEAD The standard word for the head is shǒu 首. 1 Attribution
• Oppos: (DESPISE)進/PROMOTE1 Attribution