Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 以来 AND 后来
The words “以来 (yǐ lái)” and “后来 (hòulái)” are two prepositions commonly used in Mandarin.
They resemble in appearance because of the same Chinese character “来”.
But they have distinctly different uses and it’s important to know them. Don’t let the same “来” word confuse you!
HOW TO USE 以来
“以来” refers to the period from a certain time to the present. It is the Chinese equivalent of the English word “since.”
We always use this phrase to modify the length of time.
PATTERN
Period of time + 以来
It is also familiar to collocate “以来” with prepositions “自” or “从.”
Modified form:
PATTERN
自/从 + period of time + 以来
HOW TO USE 后来
“后来” is often used to sequence two events that have already occurred.
It is the Chinese equivalent of the English word “then; afterward.” It’s always used in the middle of a sequence of events that happened in the past, while “以来” can’t be used this way.
PATTERN
past event 1, 后来 + past event 2
But note that this structure is not entirely fixed. Instead, it is variable depending on the meanings of sentences.
SUMMARY
In conclusion, “以来” refers to the period from a certain time to the present, just as “since” in English; while “后来” refers to the time after something (equivalent to “later“), just as “afterward.”
Compare these sentences:
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 他们从上大学以来，一直是情侣。 | tā men cóng shàng dà xué yǐ lái，yì zhí shì qíng lǚ | They have been in love since college. |
| 他们在大学认识，后来成为了情侣。 | tā men zài dà xué rèn shi， hòu lái chéng wéi le qíng lǚ | They met in college and then fell in love. |
| CHINESE | PINYIN | ENGLISH |
|---|---|---|
| 2015年以来，我一直居住在纽约。 | 2015 nián yǐ lái，wǒ yì zhí jū zhù zài niǔ yuē | I have been living in New York since 2015. |
| 2015年我来到了纽约，后来一直住在这里。 | 2015 nián wǒ lái dào le niǔ yuē，hòu lái yì zhí zhù zài zhè lǐ | I came to New York in 2015 and have lived here ever since. |
Can you tell the difference now? We may use “以来” and “后来” to express similar thoughts about time but with distinct sentence structures.
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FAQs
How are 以来 and 以后 different?
In a nutshell “以来” refers to the period from a certain time to the present, just as “since” in English.
“后来” refers to the time after something (equivalent to “later“), just as “afterward.”
What are the sentence structures with 以来?
The primary structure is:
[period of time] + 以来
It is also familiar to collocate “以来” with prepositions “自” or “从.”
Modified form:
自/从 + [period of time] + 以来
What is the sentence structure with 以后?
Basic Sentence Structure:
[Past Event 1], 后来 + [Past Event 2]
But note that this structure is not entirely fixed. Instead, it is variable depending on the meanings of sentences.
What are some examples with 以来?
入夏以来，这个城市下了许多次雨。
rù xià yǐ lái ，zhè gè chéngshì xià le xǔ duō cì yǔ
It has rained many times in this city since the beginning of summer.
长期以来，我们习惯与在家里自己做饭。
cháng qī yǐ lái ，wǒ men xíguàn yǔ zài jiā lǐ zì jǐ zuò fàn
For a long time, we are used to cooking at home.
从上任以来，他一直很饱受人们爱戴。
cóng shàng rèn yǐ lái ，tā yìzhí hěn bǎo shòu rén men ài dài
He has been held in deep affection by people since his tenure
What are some examples with 以后?
我们的交谈话题后来转移到了足球上。
wǒ men de jiāo tán huà tí hòulái zhuǎn yí dào le zú qiú shàng
The topic of our conversation then turned to football.
我们曾经是邻居，后来他搬走了。
wǒ men céng jīng shì lín jū ，hòu lái tā bān zǒu le
We used to be neighbours before he moved out.
他本来不想提起那件事，后来还是提了。
tā běn lái bù xiǎng tí qǐ nà jiànshì， hòu lái hái shì tí le
He didn’t want to mention it at first, but then he did.
Where can I find other Grammar lessons?
We have a page dedicated to Chinese Grammar lessons here >>> Chinese Grammar Bank.
On this page, you can find several Chinese grammar lessons for different levels (from A1 to B1).