后hòu

后

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简体

Simplified Chinese

Simplified and traditional converge here — 后 (hòu, "after/behind" or "queen") absorbed the older 後 to streamline the script, though its original form depicted a woman wearing an elaborate headdress, a visual anchor for its ancient meaning as sovereign. In compounds like 前后 (front and back) and 皇后 (empress), the character carries its dual heritage: the ruler and the direction that follows.

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Shuowen

后 is composed of a woman (女) holding a child, picturing a mother with her offspring. The original meaning is “queen” or “ruler’s consort,” because the figure represents the mother of the heir. Later the character shifted to mean “after” or “behind,” extending from the notion of the queen’s position behind the king.

Pinyin

hòu· HSK 1

后hòu

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin