已 yǐ — already; to stop; then; afterwards
时间已经不早了。Shí jiān yǐ jīng bù zǎo le.It is already getting late.
Common words: 已经 (yǐ jīng)、早已 (zǎo yǐ)、而已 (ér yǐ)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "afterwards"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "afterwards", including 已 (yǐ), 继 (jì). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "afterwards" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 已 (yǐ), 继 (jì) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span yǐ, jì — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 已 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 已 yǐalready; to stop; then; afterwardsUseful words: 已经, 早已
- 继 jìto continue; to follow after; then; afterwards; to go on with; to succeedUseful words: 继续, 继承
Common words for these 2 "afterwards" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 已 (yǐ) — so "afterwards" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
已经yǐ jīngalready早已zǎo yǐfor a long time; long since; (dialect) in the past而已ér yǐthat's all; nothing more继续jì xùto continue; to proceed with; to go on with继承jì chéngto inherit; to succeed to (the throne etc); to carry on (a tradition etc)继往开来jì wǎng kāi láito follow the past and herald the future (idiom); part of a historical transition; forming a bridge between earlier and later stages
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "afterwards".
继 jì — to continue; to follow after; then; afterwards; to go on with; to succeed
弟弟继承了爸爸画画的爱好。Dì di jì chéng le bà ba huà huà de ài hào.My younger brother inherited his fathers hobby of painting.
Common words: 继续 (jì xù)、继承 (jì chéng)、继往开来 (jì wǎng kāi lái)
All 2 characters
Open 已、继 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.