In addition to the uses shown below, after is used in phrasal verbs such as ‘ask after’, ‘look after’, and ‘take after’.
除下列用法外，after还可用于ask after，look after, take after等短语动词中。
1
[PREP 介词]在（时间、事件）以后 If something happens after a particular date or event, it happens during the period of time that follows that date or event.
After 19 May, strikes were occurring on a daily basis...
5月19日之后，每天都会发生罢工。
After breakfast Amy ordered a taxi...
早饭后，埃米预订了一辆出租车。
It wasn't until after Christmas that I met Paul.
直到圣诞节之后我才见到保罗。
After is also a conjunction.
After Don told me this, he spoke of his mother...
唐告诉我这件事后，就谈起了他的母亲。
Marina cared for him after he seriously injured his eye several years ago.
自从几年前他眼睛严重受伤之后，玛丽娜就一直照顾他。
2
[PREP 介词]…之后（指做事的先后顺序） If you do one thing after doing another, you do it during the period of time that follows the other thing.
[PREP -ing]
After completing and signing it, please return the form to us in the envelope provided.
填完表格并签名后，请装进所提供的信封里寄还给我们。
...women who have changed their mind after deciding not to have children...
决定不生孩子后又改变主意的女性
After flying from Los Angeles to London, allow four full days to adjust.
从洛杉矶飞往伦敦之后，留出4整天时间适应环境。
3
[PREP 介词]（时间）在…后 You use after when you are talking about time. For example, if something is going to happen during the day after or the weekend after a particular time, it is going to happen during the following day or during the following weekend.
[n PREP n]
[ADV after v]
She's leaving the day after tomorrow.
她打算后天离开。
...the party's annual conference, to be held the week after next.
将在下下周举行的该党的年会
After is also an adverb.
Tomorrow. Or the day after.
明天。或者是后天。
4
[PREP 介词]随…之后；跟在…之后 If you go after someone, you follow or chase them.
He walked out, and Louise went after him.
他走了出去，路易丝也跟着出去了。
...people who were after him for large amounts of money.
为了大笔钱而追随他的人们
5
[PREP 介词]追求；搜寻 If you are after something, you are trying to get it.
They were after the money...
他们想得到这笔钱。
I did eventually find what I was after.
我最终找到了我想要的东西。
6
[PREP 介词]朝着（正离去之人喊叫或注视） If you call, shout, or stare after someone, you call, shout, or stare at them as they move away from you.
'Come back!' he called after me...
“回来！”他朝我喊道。
Claire stared after him until he disappeared around a corner.
克莱尔一直注视着他，直到他消失在拐角。
7
[PREP 介词]为，替（某人做某事） If you do something after someone, you do it for them, because they cannot or will not do it for themselves.
She used to mess up the floor and I had to clean up after her.
她过去常常把地板弄得很脏乱，而我不得不为她清理干净。
8
[PREP 介词]过了（某地）以后 If you tell someone that one place is a particular distance after another, you mean that it is situated beyond the other place and further away from you.
A few kilometres after the village, turn right to Montelabate.
过了村庄之后再前行几公里，向右转前往蒙特拉贝特。
9
[PREP 介词]（写）在…后面（或下面） If one thing is written after another thing on a page, it is written following it or underneath it.
I wrote my name after Penny's.
我把自己的名字写在彭尼的下面。
10
[PREP 介词]（重要性）仅次于，低于 You use after in order to give the most important aspect of something when comparing it with another aspect.
After Germany, America is Britain's second-biggest customer...
对于英国来说，美国是仅次于德国的第二大客户。
Methane is often regarded as the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.
甲烷常被认为是仅次于二氧化碳的重要温室气体。
11
[PREP 介词]依照，按照（某人的名字命名） To be named after someone means to be given the same name as them.
[BRIT 英]
Phillimore Island is named after Sir Robert Phillimore...
菲利莫尔岛以罗伯特·菲利莫尔爵士的名字命名。
He persuaded Virginia to name the baby after him.
他说服弗吉尼娅以他的名字为婴儿取名。
in AM, use 美国英语用 for
12
[CONVENTION 惯用语]（走路或出入门口时的礼貌用语）您先请 If you say 'after you' to someone, you are being polite and allowing them to go in front of you or through a doorway before you do.
[politeness]
'After you.' — 'Not at all, Mr Bird, after you.'
“您先请。”——“别客气，伯德先生，您先请。”
13
[PREP 介词]（…点）过（…分）After is used when telling the time. If it is, for example, ten after six, the time is ten minutes past six.
[AM 美]
14
after all→see:
all
；
Usage Note :
You use after, afterwards, and later to talk about things that happen following the time when you are speaking, or following a particular event. Expressions such as 'not long' and 'shortly' can also be used with after. After dinner she spoke to him... I returned to England after visiting India... Shortly after, she called me. Afterwards can be used when you do not need to mention the particular time or event. Afterwards we went to a night club. You can also use words such as 'soon' and 'shortly' with afterwards. Soon afterwards, he came to the clinic. You can use later to refer to a time or situation that follows the time when you are speaking. I'll go and see her later. 'A little', 'much', and 'not much' can also be used with later. A little later, the lights went out... I learned all this much later. You can use after, afterwards, or later following a phrase that mentions a period of time, in order to say when something happens. five years after his death ... She wrote about it six years afterwards ... Ten minutes later he left the house.
after, afterwards和later都用于谈论晚于说话时间或某事之后发生的事情。not long，shortly等表达方式也可与after连用。例如：After dinner she spoke to him（饭后她对他说话了），I returned to England after visiting India（印度之行结束后我回到了英格兰），Shortly after, she called me（之后不久，她给我打了电话）。无需提及具体时间或事件时，可用afterwards：Afterwards we went to a night club（后来我们去了一家夜总会）。afterwards也可与soon，shortly等词连用：Soon afterwards, he came to the clinic（过了不久，他来到了诊所）。later可用于指说话时间之后的时间或情况。例如，I'll go and see her later（我过阵子会去看她）。a little, much和not much也可与later连用。例如，A little later, the lights went out（过了一会儿，灯灭了），I learned all this much later（很久以后我才得知了这一切）。after, afterwards和later可用于表示一段时间的短语后面，指某事发生的时间：five years after his death（他去世5年之后），She wrote about it six years afterwards（6年之后她撰文谈起了此事），Ten minutes later he left the house（10分钟之后他离开了那座房子）。
15
[PHRASE 短语]一个接一个地；接连地 If you do something to several things one after the other or one after another, you do it to one, then the next, and so on, with no break between your actions.
Sybil ate three biscuits, one after the other...
西比尔接连吃了3块饼干。
Caroline was trying on one outfit after another.
卡罗琳一套接一套地试穿衣服。
16
[PHRASE 短语]日复一日/年复一年 If something happens day after day or year after year, it happens every day or every year, for a long time.
I waited for news, day after day, expecting to hear.
我日复一日地等着，期待能听到消息。
...people who'd been coming here year after year.
年复一年到这里来的人们
Oxford
after★/ˈɑːftə(r); NAmEˈæftər/
preposition
,
conjunction
,
adverb
,
adjective
preposition★1★later than sth; following sth in time （时间）在…后◆We'll leave after lunch.我们将在午饭后动身。◆They arrived shortly after5. 他们是在 5 点钟刚过到达的。◆Not long after thathe resigned. 那以后不久他就辞职了。◆Let's meet the day after tomorrow/the week after next.咱们后天╱下下周再见。◆After winning the prize she became famous overnight.她获奖后一夜之间成名了。◆After an hour I went home (= when an hour had passed).一小时之后我回家了。◆( NAmE) It's ten after seven in the morning (= 7.10 a.m.)现在是早上七点十分。2★… after…used to show that sth happens many times or continuously （表示反复不断或一个接着一个）◆day after day of hot weather日复一日的炎热天气◆I've told you time after time not to do that.我一再告诉过你不要干那件事。☞see also one after anotheratone3★behind sb when they have left; following sb 跟随；追赶；在…后面◆Shut the door after you.随手关门。◆I'm always having to clean up after the children (= clean the place after they have left it dirty and untidy).孩子们离开以后，我总得打扫一番。◆He ran after her with the book.他拿着那本书在后面追赶她。◆She was left staring after him.她目不转睛地望着他离去的背影。4★next to and following sb/sth in order or importance （按顺序、重要性）在…后面，仅次于◆Your name comes after mine in the list.在名单上你的名字在我的后面。◆He's the tallest, after Richard.除了理查德，他的个子最高。◆After you(= Please go first).请先走。◆After you withthe paper (= Can I have it next?).报纸你看完了给我看。5★in contrast to sth 与…对照；与…对比◆It was pleasantly cool in the house after the sticky heat outside.与户外的湿热相比，屋里真是凉爽惬意。6★as a result of or because of sth that has happened 鉴于；由于◆I'll never forgive him after what he said.由于他说了那些话，我永远也不会原谅他。7despite sth; although sth has happened 尽管；即使某事之后◆I can't believe she'd do that, not after all I've done for her.在我为她做了这一切之后，我无法相信她会那样做。8trying to find or catch sb/sth 寻找；追捕◆The police are after him.警方正在追捕他。◆He's after a job at our place.他到我们这儿找工作。9about sb/sth 关于◆She asked after you (= how you were).她问候你。10in the style of sb/sth; following the example of sb/sth 模仿；依照◆a painting after Goya一幅仿戈雅的画◆We named the baby ‘Ena’ after her grandmother.我们以婴儿祖母的名字给婴儿取名“埃娜”。11after-( in adjectives 构成形容词) happening or done later than the time or event mentioned …后的◆after-hours drinking (= after closing time)打烊时间以后饮酒◆an after-school club课外活动俱乐部◆after-dinner mints餐后薄荷糖IDIOMSˌafter ˈall1★despite what has been said or expected 毕竟；终归◆So you made it after all!你毕竟成功了！2★used when you are explaining sth, or giving a reason （解释或说明理由）别忘了，到底◆He should have paid. He suggested it, after all.他本来就应该付款，反正他自己也这么提出。be after doing sth( IrishE) 1to be going to do sth soon; to be intending to do sth soon 正要做某事；打算就要做某事2to have just done sth 刚做了某事conjunction★at a time later than sth; when sth has finished 在…以后◆I'll call you after I've spoken to them.我和他们谈了以后就给你打电话。◆Several years after they'd split up they met again by chance in Paris.他们离异几年以后在巴黎又偶然相遇。adverb★later in time; afterwards 后来；以后◆That was in 1996. Soon after,I heard that he'd died. 那是在 1996 年。不久以后我听说他死了。◆I could come next week, or the week after.我可能下周来，或者再下一周。◆And they all lived happily ever after.从此以后他们都过着幸福的生活。adjective[only before noun ]( old use) following; later 后来的；以后的◆in after years在以后的岁月中after/ˈɑːftə(r); NAmEˈæftər/
1when a particular event or time has happened, or when someone has done somethingOPP before: After the war many soldiers stayed in France. I go swimming every day after work. Do you believe in life after death? The first attack started just after midnight. David went to bed straight after (=immediately after) supper. After you’d called the police, what did you do? Zimmerman changed his name after he left Germany. People still remember the 1958 revolution and what came after (=happened after it).after doing something After leaving school, Mackay worked in a restaurant for a year.two days/three weeks etc after (something) Ten years after he bought the painting, Carswell discovered that it was a fake.the day/week/year etc after (something) (=the next day, week etc) His car was outside your house the morning after Bob’s engagement party. I’ll see you again tomorrow or the day after. She retired from politics the year after she received the Nobel Prize.soon/not long/shortly after (something) Not long after the wedding, his wife became ill. The family moved to Hardingham in June 1983, and Sarah’s first child was born soon after.2when a particular amount of time has passedOPP before: After ten minutes remove the cake from the oven. You’ll get used to it after a while. After months of negotiation, an agreement was finally reached.3following someone or something else in a list or a piece of writing, or in order of importance: Whose name is after yours on the list? The date should be written after the address. After football, tennis is my favourite sport. The UK is the world’s third largest arms producer, after the USA and Russia.4American English used when telling the time to say how many minutes have passed since a particular hourSYN past British English: The movie starts at a quarter (=fifteen minutes) after seven.5day after day/year after year etc continuously for a very long time: He’s worked in that same office week after week, year after year, since he was 18.6a)following someone in order to stop or speak to them: Go after him and apologize. I heard someone running after me, and a voice called my name.b)in the direction of someone who has just left: ‘Good luck,’ she called after me as I left. Harry stood in the doorway gazing after her.7when someone has left a place or has finished doing something: Remember to close the door after you. I spend all day cleaning up after the kids.8because of something that happened earlier: I’m not surprised he walked out, after the way she treated him. After your letter, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.9in spite of something that was done in the past: How can you treat me like this after all I’ve done for you?10when you have passed a particular place or travelled a certain distance along a road: Turn left after the hotel. After a mile you will come to a crossroads.11be after somebody/somethinga)to be looking for someone or something: That boy’s always in trouble – the police are after him again. ‘Were you after anything in particular?’ ‘No, we’re just looking.’b)informal to want to have something that belongs to someone else: I think Chris is after my job.12one after another/one after the other if a series of events or actions happen one after another, each one happens soon after the previous one: Ever since we moved here it’s been one problem after another.13after alla)in spite of what you thought was true or expected to happen: He wrote to say they couldn’t give me a job after all. Union leaders announced that they would, after all, take part in the national conference.b)used to say that something should be remembered or considered, because it helps to explain what you have just said: Prisoners should be treated with respect – they are human beings after all. I don’t know why you’re so concerned – it isn’t your problem after all.14 especially British English used to say who or what first had the name that someone or something has been given: His name is Alessandro, after his grandfather. It was named Waterloo Bridge, after the famous battle.15formal in the same style as a particular painter, musician etc: a painting after Rembrandt16a)after you spoken used to say politely that someone else can use or do something before you do: ‘Do you need the copier?’ ‘After you.’b)after you with something used to ask someone if you can have or use something after they have finished: After you with that knife, please. → a man/woman after my own heart
at heart1(22)
, → take after
at take1
THESAURUSafter preposition after something happens, or after a period of time has passed. After is used especially when talking about the past: · We went for a walk after lunch.· After an hour, we got tired of waiting and went home.· They got married just after Christmas.in preposition after a particular period of time. In is used especially when talking about the future, especially the next few minutes, hours, days etc: · The concert’s due to start in a few minutes.· I’ll come back in an hour.· In a few years’ time, this place will look completely different.within preposition after less than a month, two weeks etc has passed – used especially when the time seems surprisingly short: within a month/two weeks etc: · He developed a headache at lunchtime, and within two hours he was dead.· Within two days of arriving she had managed to upset everyone.24 hours/a year etc from now at a time 24 hours, a year etc after now: · A week from now we’ll be in Paris.afterwards (also afterward especially American English) adverb after an event or time you have mentioned: · Jones admitted afterwards that she had been very nervous during the game.· Speaking to reporters afterward, he said the operation had been a success.· He moved to Belgium, and soon afterwards he met Angela.later adverb some time after now or after the time you are talking about: · I’ll tell you about it later when I’m less busy.two months/three years etc later: · James went off, and came back ten minutes later with some food.subsequently adverb formal after something had happened in the past: · The book was published in 1954 and was subsequently translated into fifteen languages.
after1 preposition, conjunction, adverb
after2 adjective
afterafter2 adjective [only before noun]
Examples
Collocations
Phrases
1in after years literary in the years after the time that has been mentioned2 technical in the back part of a boat or an aircraft