Kanji 後 — "Behind"
Here is what 後 means, how it is read, what it is built from, and a story that makes "Behind" stick.
Also means: After, Back
How it is read
ご, こう
the reading borrowed from Chinese — usually appears in compound words
のち, うし.ろ, うしろ, あと, おく.れる
the native Japanese reading — usually appears when the kanji stands alone
How to remember it
Kanji are not random strokes. Learn the parts and the whole becomes easy. Put the parts together into one picture. The stranger it is, the harder it is to forget.
As you Step away, a Tiny dog with Walking Legs follows you from Behind.
- 彳 Step
It's the shape of Mr. T (亻) with his hair swinging back because he's taking a Step forward.
- 幺 Tiny
A ball of thread (糸) with its bottom part cut off, making it scattered, leaving only a Tiny size.
- 夂 Walking Legs
This might look similar to again (又), but it's Walking Legs that are taking steps, so we call it walking legs.
Words that use 後
12 of 18 words in the app that contain this kanji — the most common ones first.
- 最後 さいご last, end
- 後 あと / ご / のち afterwards, the rest
- その後 そのご after that, later
- 後悔 こうかい regret, repentance
- 今後 こんご from now on, hereafter
- 午後 ごご afternoon
- 後ろ うしろ behind, back
- 後輩 こうはい junior members of a group
- 明後日 あさって / みょうごにち day after tomorrow
- 直後 ちょくご immediately following
- 前後 ぜんご front and back, before and after
- 背後 はいご back, rear
Want 後 to still be there next month?
Reading it once is not remembering it. The app brings each kanji back right before you would have forgotten it.
