后 hòu — empress; queen; surname; back; behind; rear
吃过晚饭后，我们去散步。Chī guò wǎn fàn hòu, wǒ men qù sàn bù.After dinner, we went for a walk.
Common words: 最后 (zuì hòu)、后面 (hòu mian)、后天 (hòu tiān)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "behind"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "behind", including 后 (hòu), 落 (luò / là). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "behind" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 后 (hòu), 落 (luò / là) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span hòu, luò, là — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 后 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 后 hòuempress; queen; surname; back; behind; rearUseful words: 最后, 后面
- 落 luò / làleave behind; alight; to fall; to drop (behind)Useful words: 落后, 降落
Common words for these 2 "behind" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 后 (hòu) — so "behind" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
最后zuì hòufinal; last; ultimate; finally后面hòu mianthe back; the rear; the last bit; behind后天hòu tiānthe day after tomorrow; life after birth; acquired (not innate or congenital); a posteriori落后luò hòuto fall behind; to lag (in technology etc); backward; to retrogress降落jiàng luòto descend; to land落实luò shípractical; workable; to implement; to carry out
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 "behind".
落 luò / là — leave behind; alight; to fall; to drop (behind)
秋天到了，树叶纷纷落下。Qiū tiān dào le, shù yè fēn fēn luò xià.Autumn has come, and the leaves are falling one after another.
Common words: 落后 (luò hòu)、降落 (jiàng luò)、落实 (luò shí)
All 2 characters
Open 后、落 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.