後 — how to write the kanji for “behind”
後 means “behind”, “back” and “later”; it is a JLPT N5 kanji, taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is one of the hundred most used kanji (26th). KANJIDIC2 gives it 2 on readings and 5 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts: 彳 (“step”, its radical), strokes 1–3; 幺 (“short thread”), strokes 4–6; 夂 (“go slowly”), strokes 7–9, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word ato, “behind; rear”. Its common words take the reading go: 今後 (“from now on”), 午後 (“afternoon”), 戦後 (“postwar period”) and 最後 (“end”). Mainland Chinese writes it 后 (hòu, “back”), an HSK 1 character.
- Strokes
- 9
- JLPT
- N5
- Radical
- 彳 (“step”)
- On
- ゴ, コウ
- Kun
- あと, うし·ろ, のち
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top leftdown and left
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top leftdown and left
- Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
- Left-falling-turn ㇜topdown and left → down and right
- Left-falling-turn ㇜top rightdown and left → rightwards
- Dot ㇔top rightdown and right
- Left-falling stroke ㇒centerdown and left
- Horizontal then left-falling ㇇centerrightwards → down and left
- Right-falling stroke ㇏centerdown and right
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 9 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- ゴ go, コウ kou
- Kun (native)
- あと ato, うし·ろ ushi-ro, のち nochi (rare), うしろ ushiro (rare), おく·れる oku-reru (rare)
- Meanings
- behind; back; later
- Read go
- 今後 午後 戦後 最後 直後 終了後
- Read kou
- 後半 後援 後任 後継
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 26th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 후 hu
- Common words
- 58 in JMdict
Words with 後
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今後 | こんご kongo | from now on; hereafter |
| 午後 | ごご gogo | afternoon; p.m. |
| 戦後 | せんご sengo | postwar period; period after Second World War |
| 最後 | さいご saigo | end; conclusion |
| 後半 | こうはん kouhan | second half; latter half |
| 直後 | ちょくご chokugo | immediately following |
| 後援 | こうえん kouen | support; backing |
| 後任 | こうにん kounin | successor |
| 後継 | こうけい koukei | succession; successor |
| 終了後 | しゅうりょうご shuuryougo | after the end |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N5, in list order: