after
gb/ˈæftɚ/ us/ˈæftɚ/
A1
English
~ 400
után, utána, később, miután, elvégre, mivel, keres, nyomában van
A1
1
után
A1
Usage pattern:
after [event/time]
We went for ice cream after the movie.
A film után elmentünk fagyizni.
Please call me after lunch.
Kérlek, hívj fel ebéd után.
He felt much better after a good night’s sleep.
Learner examples
I wash my hands after dinner.
Vacsora után kezet mosok.
She goes home after school.
Iskola után hazamegy.
We eat cake after the meal.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'after' with 'later'; 'later' cannot directly link two events in the same way as 'after'.
Meaning
Later in time than
Collocations
after school
|after work
|after lunch
|after midnight
Synonyms
following (Slightly more formal; often used in written contexts.)
Antonyms
before (Indicates an earlier time instead of a later one.)
Themes
time
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to show that something happens later than another thing.
Indicating that something happens at a time later than another event or point in time.
A2
2
He arrived at noon and left soon after.
Délben érkezett, és nem sokkal utána elment.
I’ll see you shortly after.
Nem sokkal később találkozom veled.
Not long after, it began to rain.
Learner examples
I arrived and she came soon after.
Megérkeztem, és ő nem sokkal utána jött.
We ate and then went out after.
Ettünk, utána pedig kimentünk.
It started to rain not long after.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes add an object after 'after' in this adverb use, which is incorrect ('He came after me' means 'following me', not 'later').
Meaning
At a later time
Collocations
soon after
|shortly after
|not long after
Synonyms
later (Close in meaning; 'later' is more general and can stand alone without reference to another event.)
Antonyms
beforehand (Means earlier in time.)
Themes
time
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Happening at a time later than before.
At a time following something previously mentioned or implied.
B1
3
Usage pattern:
after [clause]
After you’ve apologized, we can move on.
Miután bocsánatot kértél, továbbléphetünk.
We can’t complain, after all we agreed to this.
Nem panaszkodhatunk, elvégre ebbe beleegyeztünk.
After what happened, she never trusted him again.
Learner examples
We can go home after we finish.
Miután végeztünk, hazamehetünk.
After he said sorry, she smiled.
Miután bocsánatot kért, elmosolyodott.
After the rain stopped, we went out.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this causal 'after' with purely temporal uses; context determines meaning.
Meaning
Because something has happened
Synonyms
since ('Since' can also indicate cause, but is slightly more formal.)
Themes
reasoning
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to say that something is true because another thing has happened.
Used to mean 'because' or 'considering that' in certain contexts.
A2
4
után
A1
Usage pattern:
after [someone/something]
Your name comes after mine on the list.
A listán a neved az enyém után következik.
The number 3 comes after 2.
A 3-as szám a 2-es után következik.
She’s next after John in line.
Learner examples
B is after A in the alphabet.
A B betű az ábécében az A után következik.
My seat is after yours.
Az én helyem a tiéd után következik.
He is next after her.
Meaning
Following in order or position
Collocations
named after
|come after
|next after
Synonyms
behind ('Behind' can be physical; 'after' can be sequential or figurative.)
Antonyms
before (Indicates earlier in order or position.)
Themes
order
|space
|time
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to show something is next in order or position.
Indicating that something comes next in a sequence or list.
B1
5
Usage pattern:
after [someone/something]
The police are after the suspect.
A rendőrség a gyanúsított nyomában van.
He’s after a new job in marketing.
Új marketinges állást keres.
She’s been after me to fix the sink.
Learner examples
The dog ran after the ball.
A kutya a labda után futott.
The police are after him.
A rendőrség a nyomában van.
I am after a new phone.
Common mistake:
'After' here can be confused with its time meaning; context of pursuit is key.
Meaning
In pursuit of or seeking
Collocations
run after
|look after (different meaning)
|go after
Synonyms
pursuing (More formal than 'after'; often used for goals or people.)
Antonyms
avoid (Means to keep away from instead of seeking.)
Themes
movement
|goals
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to say someone is trying to get or catch someone or something.
Indicating that someone is trying to find, catch, or obtain something or someone.
Grammar
Dictionary form
after
IPA
GB/ˈæftɚ/
US/ˈæftɚ/
Syllables & stress
after (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (after)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: after
- Plural: afters
Word family
Forms
afters
noun
Core family
afternoon
noun A1
afterwards
adverb A2
Negative and opposite forms
before
preposition A1
Advanced or less common
Expressions
after all
1/ˈæftɚ ˈɔl/
fixed phrase
Considering all the facts/reasons
Used to say something is true when you think about all the facts or reasons.
Examples
- We decided not to go, after all it was raining heavily.
- He might be late, but he’s reliable, after all.
go after
1/ɡˈoʊ ˈæftɚ/
phrasal verb
Try to get/catch something/someone
To try to get, catch, or achieve something or someone.
Examples
- He decided to go after his dream job.
- The cat went after the mouse.
name after
1/nˈeɪm ˈæftɚ/
phrasal verb
Give same name as another person/thing
To give someone or something the same name as another person or thing.
Examples
- They named their son after his grandfather.
- The street was named after a famous poet.
run after
1/ɹˈʌn ˈæftɚ/
phrasal verb
Physically chase someone/something moving away
To run in order to catch someone or something moving away from you.
Examples
- The boy ran after the ice cream truck.
- She ran after him to give back his wallet.
look after
1/lˈʊk ˈæftɚ/
phrasal verb
take care of someone/something
To take care of someone or something and keep them safe or in good condition.
Examples
- Can you look after my dog while I’m away?
- Can you look after my cat while I’m away?
- She looks after her younger brother every afternoon.