1. at a later time; after an event
之後，後來
We had dinner and went for a walk afterward.
我們吃了晚餐，之後去散步。
She finished her work and left the office shortly afterward.
她完成工作後，不久就離開了辦公室。
Afterward Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
afterward
adverb
快速理解
What does "Afterward" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Afterward"?
表示某個事件或時間點之後發生的情況。
- 1
之後
EN: We had dinner, and afterward we watched a movie.
翻譯: 我們吃了晚餐，之後我們看了一部電影。
- 2
後來
EN: He didn't realize his mistake until afterward.
翻譯: 他直到後來才意識到自己的錯誤。
- 3
隨後
EN: The meeting will begin at 3 PM, and the reception will take place afterward.
翻譯: 會議將於下午三點開始，隨後將舉行招待會。
- 4
事後
EN: Looking back afterward, she understood why he had acted that way.
翻譯: 事後回想起來，她明白了他為什麼那樣做。
小提醒：「afterward」和「afterwards」在美式英語中常可互換，但「afterward」更常見。在英式英語中則多用「afterwards」。
發音（How to Pronounce "Afterward" in English）
How to pronounce "Afterward" in English?"Afterward" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Afterward" from YouTube Videos
Billy Graham: Technology, faith and human shortcomings
TED
“And afterward she said: "You know, I'm an atheist, but I know that there's something up there, higher than we are".”
(1 out of 12)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Afterward"?How does "Afterward" change by context?
2. as a result or consequence of something
（作為結果）之後，於是
He missed the train and had to take a bus afterward.
他錯過了火車，之後只好改搭公車。
The plan was approved, and the implementation began soon afterward.
計畫獲得批准，不久後便開始實施。
3. in the time following a particular event or period
在（某事件或時期）之後
The war ended, and a period of reconstruction began afterward.
戰爭結束後，一段重建時期隨之開始。
Years afterward, she still remembered that day clearly.
多年以後，她依然清晰地記得那一天。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Afterward"?How to make natural sentences with "Afterward"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| afterward(s) | 之後，後來 | We had dinner, and afterward we went for a walk. (我們吃了晚餐，之後我們去散步。) |
| soon afterward | 不久之後 | He left the company. Soon afterward, the project was canceled. (他離開了公司。不久之後，專案就被取消了。) |
| immediately afterward | 緊接著，隨即 | The meeting ended at 5 p.m. Immediately afterward, she sent out the minutes. (會議在下午五點結束。緊接著，她就發出了會議記錄。) |
| not long afterward | 沒過多久 | They moved to a new city. Not long afterward, they made many new friends. (他們搬到了新城市。沒過多久，他們就交了很多新朋友。) |
| ... and afterward | …然後… | Let's finish this report first, and afterward we can take a break. (我們先把這份報告完成，然後我們可以休息一下。) |
用法說明
How is "Afterward" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Afterward"?
afterward 與 afterwards 的區別
- 拼寫差異："afterward" 是美式英語的標準拼法，而 "afterwards" 則是英式英語中更常見的形式。
- 詞性與用法：兩者都是副詞，意思完全相同，都表示「之後、後來」，用於描述某個事件或時間點之後發生的事情。
- 互換性：在大多數語境下，這兩個詞可以互換使用，選擇哪一個主要取決於你所遵循的拼寫習慣（美式或英式）。
- 現代用法：現代英語中，兩者幾乎完全等同於副詞用法，可以自由替換。 EN: She finished her work and went home afterward. 翻譯: 她完成工作後就回家了。
EN:She finished her work and went home afterwards.
翻譯:她完成工作後就回家了。
EN:We had dinner, and afterward, we watched a movie.
翻譯:我們吃了晚餐，之後看了一部電影。
EN:The meeting will be long, but we can discuss the details afterwards.
翻譯:會議會很長，但我們可以在之後討論細節。
總結建議
若書寫美式英文，建議使用 "afterward"；若書寫英式英文，則 "afterwards" 更為常見，兩者意思無異。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Afterward" and similar words?How to choose "Afterward" vs alternatives?
afterward vs afterwards
「afterward」和「afterwards」意思完全相同，都表示「之後、後來」。「afterward」在美式英語中較常見，「afterwards」在英式英語中較常見。兩者皆為副詞，用法可互換。
afterward vs later
「afterward」通常指緊接在所述事件之後的時間點，強調順序。而「later」泛指「稍後、晚一點」，時間間隔可長可短，不一定緊接。
afterward vs subsequently
「afterward」是通用詞彙，用於口語及一般寫作。「subsequently」較正式、書面化，常出現在報告、法律或學術文本中，強調時間或邏輯上的後續發展。
口語用法
How is "Afterward" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Afterward"?
引述
在口語中，有時會用 "afterward" 來引述或總結一連串事件，尤其是在講故事或分享個人經歷時。 EN: So we had dinner, saw a movie, and afterward we just walked around the city. 翻譯: 所以我們吃了晚餐、看了電影，之後就在城市裡到處走走。
EN:She finished her presentation. Afterward, a few people came up to ask questions.
翻譯:她完成了她的報告。之後，有幾個人上前來提問。
語氣強調
為了強調時間順序或因果關係，說話者可能會稍微加重 "afterward" 的語氣，讓聽者注意事件的先後次序。 EN: I told him it was a bad idea. And afterward, guess what happened? Everything went wrong. 翻譯: 我告訴他那是個餿主意。而之後呢，你猜怎麼了？一切都搞砸了。
EN:He apologized, but afterward, I still felt upset about the whole thing.
翻譯:他道歉了，但在那之後，我對整件事還是感到很不開心。
停頓填充
在即時對話中思考接下來要說什麼時，"afterward" 偶爾會被用作一個輕微的停頓填充詞，連接前後思緒。 EN: We need to finalize the plan first... and afterward... we can start contacting clients. 翻譯: 我們需要先敲定計畫……然後呢……我們就可以開始聯繫客戶了。
EN:Let me check my calendar for Monday. Afterward... oh, actually, Tuesday might be better.
翻譯:讓我查一下星期一的行程。之後……哦，其實星期二可能更好。
請注意：在正式寫作（如學術論文、商業報告）中，應避免將 "afterward" 用於語氣強調或作為停頓填充，以保持文體的嚴謹與流暢。在這些場合，通常直接使用其基本時間副詞意義即可，無需口語化的停頓或強調。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Afterward"?What fixed phrases with "Afterward" should I remember?
soon afterward
adverb phrase
不久之後
immediately afterward
adverb phrase
緊接著，隨即
long afterward
adverb phrase
很久以後
for some time afterward
adverb phrase
在之後的一段時間裡
ever afterward
adverb phrase
從那以後一直
not long afterward
adverb phrase
沒過多久
shortly afterward
adverb phrase
不久之後
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Afterward"?Which "Afterward" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×I will call you after.
✓I will call you afterward.
單獨使用 'after' 作為副詞時，通常需要搭配其他詞語（如 'after that'）。'Afterward' 是更自然、完整的副詞形式，表示「之後」。
×He finished his work and went to home afterwardly.
✓He finished his work and went home afterward.
'Afterward' 本身就是副詞，不需要再加副詞字尾 '-ly'。'Afterwardly' 不是標準英文單字。
×Afterward the meeting, we had lunch.
✓After the meeting, we had lunch.
'Afterward' 是副詞，不能接名詞。當後面需要接名詞（如 the meeting）時，必須使用介系詞 'after'。
×First we will visit the museum. Afterward, we will go shopping.
✓First we will visit the museum. Afterward, we will go shopping. (Acceptable, but 'Afterward' at the start of a sentence is less common.) Better: We will visit the museum first, and afterward we will go shopping.
'Afterward' 可以放在句首，但這種用法較少見，聽起來可能有點正式或不自然。更常見的用法是放在主要子句之後，用 'and' 連接。
×I felt unwell afterward of eating the seafood.
✓I felt unwell after eating the seafood.
'Afterward' 不能與 'of' 或其他介系詞連用。要表示「在...之後」，應使用 'after' + V-ing 或名詞。
×We can decide it afterward.
✓We can decide afterward.
代名詞 'it' 在這裡是多餘的，因為 'decide' 作為不及物動詞時，本身已包含「做決定」的意思。'Afterward' 修飾的是整個動作發生的時間。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Afterward"?What are tense/participle forms of "Afterward"?