after

CEFRA1

/ˈɑːftə/

preposition · adverb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    preposition

    Later than a particular time or event.

  2. 02

    adverb

    Later in time.

Examples

  • I'll call you after I've spoken to them.

  • You asked after her? What did she say?

At a glance

Sits at A1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • /ˈætə(ɹ)/
  • /ˈaftə(ɹ)/

Deep Dive

preposition

Extra meanings

  1. Subsequently to; following in time; later than.

  2. Subsequently to and as a result of.

adverb

Extra meaning

  1. Behind; later in time; following.

More examples

In context

  • Pull into shape after washing.

  • I left the room, and the dog bounded after.

  • I might come next month, or the month after.

Synonyms

Quick test

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Nearby

Origin

preposition

From Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic *after, *aftiri, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epoteros (“further behind, further away”), from *h₂epo (“off, away”). Cognate with Scots efter (“after”), North Frisian efter (“after, behind”), West Frisian after, achter, efter (“behind; after”), Low German and Dutch achter (“behind”), German after- (“after-”), Danish and Swedish efter (“after”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk etter (“after”), Faroese and Icelandic eftir (“after”). The Irish usage to indicate recent completion of an activity is a calque of the Irish collocation Táim tar éis... (“I have just...”, literally “I am after....