¿Y después?
And then what?
Someone hears the first step and wants the next one straight away. On its own, ¿Y después? asks what comes after that.
From Dr. House · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "after" in Spanish
después
adverbnever changesaccent on the é
"After" in Spanish is después. On its own it means after that or later: ¿Y después? Before a noun or a verb, add de: después de la cena, después de comer.
Hear "después" in real movie scenes
A question about the next step and a classic time jump. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Un año después.
A year later.
This is the movies' favorite caption for a big jump in time. Put después after an amount of time and it means later.
From Llegaron juntos · Spanish audio
Después in everyday phrases
Six phrases for talking about what comes next.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| después | afterward, later, then |
| ¿Y después? | And then what? |
| después de la cena | after dinner |
| después de comer | after eating |
| un año después | a year later |
| poco después | shortly after |
Tip: Luego is a close cousin, but hasta luego (see you later) is a fixed phrase, so don't swap in después there.
Grammar: después and después de
Four points, all about what comes next.
One form only
Después never agrees with anything. It always keeps the written accent on the é.Add de before a noun
después de la cena, después del trabajo. De and el join into del.Infinitive after de
Where English uses -ing, Spanish uses the infinitive: después de comer, after eating.Time first, then después
dos días después, two days later. una semana después, a week later.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
¿Y después?
And after that?
Un año después.
A year later.
Claro, después la isla.
Sure, the island after that.
Te llamo después de comer.
I'll call you after lunch.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗después la cena
✓después de la cena
When a noun follows, después needs de.
✗después de comiendo
✓después de comer
After de, use the infinitive, never the -ndo form.
✗despues
✓después
The written accent marks the stressed syllable: dehs-PWEHS.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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How to remember it
Después sounds a bit like "the space". After one thing ends, there's a space before the next one starts.
Questions about "after" in Spanish
How do you say after in Spanish?
Después. Before a noun or a verb, use después de: después de la clase.
What's the difference between después and luego?
Both can mean later or then, and in most sentences either one works. Set phrases keep their own word, like hasta luego.
How do you say "after that" in Spanish?
Después on its own, or después de eso. When people tell a story, you'll also hear luego.
How do you say "after school" in Spanish?
Después de clase, or después del colegio in Spain: Juego al fútbol después de clase.
