先后……

xiānhòu...

successively / one after another... (先后……)

先后 means “successively” or “in order.” It highlights that several things happened at different times, one after another.

Anchor example

他先后在北京和上海工作过。

Tā xiānhòu zài Běijīng hé Shànghǎi gōngzuò guo.

He worked in Beijing and Shanghai successively.

HSK 5

1 structures

15 exercises

Lesson summary

Read the sample sentence and notice how 先后…… works in the frame: 先后 A.

Explanation

先后 often appears with multiple places, actions, people, or events. It focuses on chronological sequence, not collective reaction. Compared with 陆续, 先后 often summarizes a series of completed actions or experiences. Compared with 纷纷, it has no lively group-response meaning.

Structure Patterns

1 structures

Grammar pattern

先后 A

emphasizes chronological order among several actions, places, or events

他先后在北京和上海工作过。

Tā xiānhòu zài Běijīng hé Shànghǎi gōngzuò guo.

He worked in Beijing and Shanghai successively.

Common Mistakes

Using 纷纷 for a personal sequence: 他纷纷在北京和上海工作过。Use 先后 for one person’s sequence: 他先后在北京和上海工作过。
Using 先后 when there is only one event.先后 requires at least two actions, events, or items in sequence.

Usage Notes

Often summarizes a sequence in one sentence.
Needs multiple items or events.
Good with work history, product launches, and project steps.

Practice

15 exercises

1 / 15

Fill in the blank:

他____在北京和上海工作过。

Back