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先後

one after another

[s]

Character Composition

Characters

Pinyin

xian1hou4 • xiānhòu

Meaning

Primary

one after another

Alternatives

successive, succession, successively

Mnemonic Updated October 16, 2026

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

Usage

他們 先後 回家。

They went home one after the other.

客人 先後 到 了。

The guests arrived one after the other.

大家 先後 走進 教室。

Everyone entered the classroom one after the other.

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