後 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

by

What does 後 mean in Japanese?

後 means ‘after’ in time and ‘behind’ in space, the natural partner of 前.

It carries several readings: あと (after / later, 食事の後), うしろ (behind, 後ろ), ゴ in 午後 (ごご, p.m.) and 最後 (さいご, the last).

Reading

On’yomi: ゴ (go), コウ (kou)

Kun’yomi: あと (ato), うし-ろ (ushi-ro), のち (nochi)

Basic Information

Kanji 後
Meaning after, behind
Stroke Count 9
JLPT Level N4

How to Understand This Kanji

あと is the everyday ‘after / later’ (後で電話します = I’ll call later; 食事の後 = after the meal). うしろ is spatial ‘behind’ (後ろを見る). のち is a more formal or written ‘later’ (後ほど). In compounds, ゴ dominates common words (午後, 最後), so match the reading to the word rather than guessing.

Common Words

  • 後（あと / ato） — after, later
  • 午後（ごご / gogo） — afternoon, p.m.
  • 後ろ（うしろ / ushiro） — behind, back
  • 最後（さいご / saigo） — the last, the end
  • 後日（ごじつ / gojitsu） — another day, later
  • 放課後（ほうかご / houkago） — after school

Example Sentences

  • 食事の後で散歩します。

    しょくじのあとでさんぽします。 / Shokuji no ato de sanpo shimasu.

    I take a walk after meals.

  • 午後から雨が降るでしょう。

    ごごからあめがふるでしょう。 / Gogo kara ame ga furu deshou.

    It will probably rain from the afternoon.

  • 最後まで頑張ります。

    さいごまでがんばります。 / Saigo made ganbarimasu.

    I will do my best until the end.

Related Kanji

  • 前

    — 前後 (before and after) pairs 後 with its opposite 前; the two are learned as a set

  • 午

    — 午後 (p.m.) joins 午 (noon) with 後; the afternoon is the time after noon

  • 最

    — 最後 (the last) joins 最 (most) with 後 to mean the very end

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

後 is a many-reading kanji: あと (after / later), うしろ (behind), のち (later, formal), ゴ (午後, 最後). Prioritize あと, うしろ, and 午後 for N4. Pattern for time: noun + の後で (食事の後で) or verb-plain-past + 後で (食べた後で). 後 pairs with 前 as the opposite in 前後. Do not confuse 後 with 复/復; the left radical here is 彳 (going).

Summary

後 means after or behind: あと / うしろ in plain speech, ゴ in 午後 and 最後.