KaiwaGo後 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
後 means “after, behind”. It is written with 9 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ゴ (go), コウ (kou). Kun’yomi: のち (nochi), うし.ろ (ushiro), あと (ato).
How to write 後 (stroke order)
Write 後 in 9 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 後
Trace 後 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 後
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ゴ (go)コウ (kou) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | のち (nochi)うし.ろ (ushiro)あと (ato) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 後 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 後
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 後ろ | うしろ ushiro | behind | |
| 後で | あとで atode | later |
後ろ (ushiro) means “behind”.
後で (atode) means “later”.
FAQ
What does 後 mean in Japanese?
後 means “after, behind”. Common words with it are 後ろ (ushiro, “behind”) and 後で (atode, “later”).
How many strokes does 後 have?
後 has 9 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 9.
How do you read 後?
The on’yomi is ゴ (go), コウ (kou) and the kun’yomi is のち (nochi), うし.ろ (ushiro), あと (ato). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 後 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 後 is kanji number 32 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.