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先后

one after another

[t]

Character Composition

Characters

Pinyin

xian1hou4 • xiānhòu

Meaning

Primary

one after another

Alternatives

successive, succession, successively

Mnemonic Updated October 16, 2026

When things happen 先后 one after another, the first comes 先 before and the next follows 后 behind.

Usage

他们 先后 回家。

They went home one after the other.

客人 先后 到 了。

The guests arrived one after the other.

大家 先后 走进 教室。

Everyone entered the classroom one after the other.

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