How to write 后 (hòu, “back”)
后 (hòu), an HSK 1 character, means “back”, “behind” and “rear”. The traditional form is 後, 9 strokes instead of 6. Dictionaries list it under the radical 口 (“mouth”). On its own it is an HSK 1 word; it also forms 后面 (“the back”), 以后 (“after”) and 后天 (“the day after tomorrow”). Japanese reads it kou, “empress”, as a JLPT N1 kanji.
- Pinyin
- hòu
- Strokes
- 6
- HSK
- 1
- Radical
- 口 (“mouth”)
- Traditional
- 後
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top rightleftwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top leftdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕centerrightwards → down and left
- Horizontal ㇐bottomrightwards
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 6 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Traditional form
- Simplified
- 后 · 6 strokes
- Traditional
- 後 · 9 strokes · see its strokes
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| hòu fourth tone | back; behind; rear; afterwards; after | 後 | 后面 以后 后天 后年 |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 1
- 2021 standard
- level 1
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 1 word
- Words with it
- 302 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 后
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 后 後 | hòu | back; behind HSK 1 |
| 后面 後面 | hòumiàn | the back; the rear HSK 2 |
| 以后 以後 | yǐhòu | after; later HSK 3 |
| 后天 後天 | hòutiān | the day after tomorrow; life after birth… HSK 3 |
| 后年 後年 | hòunián | the year after next HSK 3 |
| 后来 後來 | hòulái | afterwards; later HSK 3 |
| 最后 最後 | zuìhòu | final; last HSK 3 |
| 然后 然後 | ránhòu | then; after that HSK 3 |
| 今后 今後 | jīnhòu | hereafter; henceforth HSK 4 |
| 前后 前後 | qiánhòu | around; from beginning to end HSK 4 |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
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Keep going
HSK 1, in list order: