afterwards
gb/ˈæftɚwɚdz/ us/ˈæftɚwɚdz/
A2
English
~ 2000
utána, azután, később
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[action/event], and afterwards [action/event]
We went to dinner and afterwards saw a movie.
Elmentünk vacsorázni, utána pedig megnéztünk egy filmet.
She apologized afterwards for her rude comment.
Később bocsánatot kért a durva megjegyzéséért.
The meeting was stressful, but afterwards everyone felt relieved.
He studied hard for weeks, and afterwards he took a long vacation.
Learner examples
We had lunch and afterwards we walked in the park.
Megebédeltünk, és utána sétáltunk a parkban.
I finished my work and afterwards I watched TV.
Befejeztem a munkámat, és utána tévét néztem.
She called me afterwards to say thank you.
We played football and afterwards we ate pizza.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'afterwards' with 'afterward' (mainly US spelling) or 'after', which can be a preposition and is not interchangeable in all contexts.
Meaning
after a particular time or event
Collocations
soon afterwards
|shortly afterwards
|immediately afterwards
|not long afterwards
Synonyms
later (More common in everyday speech; 'afterwards' is slightly more formal or narrative.)
|
subsequently (More formal and often used in written contexts.)
Antonyms
beforehand (Means before an event or action happens, opposite in time order.)
Themes
daily life
|storytelling
|time
|core_vocabulary
Definition
At a later time, after something else.
At a later time; after something else has happened.
Grammar
Dictionary form
afterwards
IPA
GB/ˈæftɚwɚdz/
US/ˈæftɚwɚdz/
Syllables & stress
af - ter - wards (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (af)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: afterwards
- Plural: afterwardses
Word family
Forms
afterwardses
noun
Negative and opposite forms
beforehand
adverb B1
before
preposition A1
Expressions
immediately afterwards
1/ɪmˈidiɪtli ˈæftɚwɚdz/
fixed phrase
directly after an event
Right after something happened, with no delay.
Examples
- She hung up the phone, and immediately afterwards it rang again.
- Immediately afterwards, the crowd began to cheer.
shortly afterwards
1/ʃˈɔɹtli ˈæftɚwɚdz/
fixed phrase
a brief time after an event
A little while after something happened.
Examples
- He graduated, and shortly afterwards he moved abroad.
- Shortly afterwards, the lights went out.
soon afterwards
1/sˈun ˈæftɚwɚdz/
fixed phrase
shortly after an event
A short time after something happened.
Examples
- She left the office, and soon afterwards it started to rain.
- The company launched the product, and soon afterwards sales increased.