1. at a time in the future
在未來某個時間
I'll see you later.
我晚點再見你。
We can discuss this later.
我們可以晚點再討論這個。
She arrived later than expected.
她比預期的時間晚到。
Later Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
later
adverb
快速理解
What does "Later" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Later"?
「later」主要表示在當前或特定時間之後的時間點或時段。
- 1
之後；稍後
EN: at a time in the future, after the present or a specified time
翻譯: 指在現在或某個特定時間之後的未來時間點。
- 2
較晚的；後來的
EN: happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
翻譯: 指相對於某個參照時間點而言，發生在更晚的時候。
- 3
以後；日後
EN: at some eventual time in the future
翻譯: 指在未來的某個不確定的、最終會到來的時間。
- 4
（用於道別）再見；待會兒見
EN: used to say goodbye, implying you will see the person again soon
翻譯: 用於道別時，暗示不久後會再見面。
小提醒：注意「later」和「latter」的區別。「later」指時間上的「較晚」，而「latter」指順序上的「後者」。
發音（How to Pronounce "Later" in English）
How to pronounce "Later" in English?"Later" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Later" from YouTube Videos
Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address
Stanford
“do you want him". They said: "Of course". My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school.”
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Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Later"?How does "Later" change by context?
2. after the present time or the time mentioned
在現在或提到的時間之後
Two days later, he called back.
兩天後，他回電了。
Later that evening, it started to rain.
那天晚上稍晚，開始下雨了。
The meeting was postponed to a later date.
會議被延期到更晚的日期。
3. used to say goodbye informally
用於非正式地道別
Okay, talk to you later!
好的，晚點再聊！
Later, man!
再會啦，兄弟！
Catch you later.
待會兒見。
4. coming after something else in time or order
在時間或順序上較晚發生的
This is a later edition of the book.
這是這本書的較晚版本。
In later years, he became more reclusive.
在往後的歲月裡，他變得更加隱居。
We'll take a later flight.
我們會搭晚一點的航班。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Later"?How to make natural sentences with "Later"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| later | 稍後；以後 | I'll call you later. (我稍後打給你。) |
| later + time period (e.g., later today, later this week) | 今天晚些時候；本週稍後 | Let's meet later this afternoon. (我們今天下午晚些時候見吧。) |
| see/talk/catch you later | 待會見；晚點聊 | I have to go now. See you later! (我得走了，待會見！) |
| sooner or later | 遲早 | Sooner or later, he will understand. (他遲早會明白的。) |
| no later than + time | 不遲於… | Please submit the report no later than Friday. (請不遲於週五提交報告。) |
| later on | 過一會兒；後來 | We can discuss the details later on. (我們可以過一會兒再討論細節。) |
用法說明
How is "Later" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Later"?
later 與 later on 的用法
- later 單獨使用時，通常指「稍後」、「之後」，時間範圍較廣，可以是幾分鐘後，也可以是幾年後。
- later on 則更強調「在稍後的某個特定時間點或階段」，常指在當天或某個事件之後。
- 在非正式口語中，兩者常可互換，但 later on 聽起來語氣更隨意一些。
- 在簡短回答或告別時，通常只用 later（例如：See you later.）。
對比例句： EN: I'm busy now. Let's talk about this later. 翻譯: 我現在很忙。我們晚點再談這件事。
EN:The meeting is at 3 PM. We can discuss the details later on.
翻譯:會議在下午三點。我們可以在會後再討論細節。
總結建議
在大多數情況下，使用 later 即可清晰表達「稍後」的意思，later on 則用於更強調特定後續時間點的場合。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Later" and similar words?How to choose "Later" vs alternatives?
later vs latter
"later" 指時間上的「稍後」，而 "latter" 指順序上的「後者」。
later vs after
"later" 單獨使用表示「稍後」，"after" 則需接特定時間點或事件。
later vs soon
"later" 指一段時間之後，"soon" 則強調「不久、很快」。
口語用法
How is "Later" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Later"?
引述
用於引述或轉述他人稍後會說的話，或自己即將提出的想法。 EN: I'll tell you later, "It's not as easy as it looks." 翻譯: 我晚點會告訴你：「這沒有看起來那麼簡單。」
EN:And then she was like, "We can discuss this later."
翻譯:然後她就說：「我們可以晚點再討論這個。」
語氣強調
與其他詞結合，如 "much later" 或 "way later"，以強調時間上的顯著延遲或差異。 EN: Don't worry, the deadline is much later this month. 翻譯: 別擔心，截止日期是這個月晚很多的時候。
EN:I finished my work way later than I expected.
翻譯:我完成工作的時間比我預期的要晚得多。
停頓填充
在即時對話中作為填充詞，為說話者爭取思考時間，常與 "um", "you know" 等連用。 EN: So, um... later, we should probably check the numbers again. 翻譯: 所以，嗯…晚點，我們可能應該再核對一下數字。
EN:The plan is, you know, later we'll all meet up at the cafe.
翻譯:計劃是，你知道的，晚點我們都會在咖啡館碰面。
正式寫作注意：在正式或學術寫作中，應避免將 "later" 用作對話中的填充詞或與過於口語的詞彙（如 "way later"）結合使用。建議使用更精確的時間狀語，如 "subsequently", "at a later time", 或 "in the subsequent phase"。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Later"?What fixed phrases with "Later" should I remember?
later on
adverb phrase
稍後，過一會兒
sooner or later
idiom
遲早，早晚
see you later
fixed expression
待會兒見，再見
no later than
prepositional phrase
不遲於，在...之前
later that day/week/year
adverbial phrase
當天/當週/當年稍晚的時候
until later
prepositional phrase
直到稍後
a little later
adverbial phrase
稍晚一點
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Later"?Which "Later" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×I like both options, but I prefer the later.
✓I like both options, but I prefer the latter.
"later" 指的是時間上的『之後』，而 "latter" 指的是順序上的『後者』（兩者中的第二個）。
×I will call you later five minutes.
✓I will call you in five minutes. / I will call you five minutes later.
"later" 不能直接接在時間長度後面。要表示『在...時間之後』，可以用 "in + 時間"（從現在算起）或 "時間 + later"（從過去某個時間點算起）。
×Sorry for being later.
✓Sorry for being late.
"late" 是形容詞，意思是『遲到』。"later" 是副詞，意思是『之後、晚些時候』，不用來描述遲到的狀態。
×See you later tomorrow!
✓See you tomorrow!
"See you later" 通常用於同一天稍後再見。如果已經指定了明天，直接用 "See you tomorrow" 即可，加上 "later" 顯得多餘且不自然。
×I'll explain it in a later time.
✓I'll explain it at a later time. / I'll explain it later.
表示『在之後的某個時間』，固定搭配是 "at a later time/date" 或直接用 "later"。使用 "in" 是錯誤的。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Later"?What are tense/participle forms of "Later"?