后
ruler; empress; after
At a glance · 后
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
甲骨文从人从止（或从口），本义为君主、首领（与「後」不同，简体合为「后」）。小篆作「后」。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
本义为君长、帝王，后指皇后。
Structure
会意字，从人从口/止，表发号之君。
At a glance
Pinyinhòu
Radical口
Strokes6
UnicodeU+540E
Character type会意
Theme人伦
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
ruler; empress; after
A ruler or empress; also after (later merged with 後).
Français
souverain; impératrice
Un souverain ou impératrice ; aussi après.
Español
soberano; emperatriz
Soberano o emperatriz ; también después.
العربية
حاكم؛ ملكة
حاكم أو ملكة؛ ويُستعار لـ«بعد».
Русский
правитель; императрица
Правитель или императрица; также после.
Common words
- 以后yǐ hòuafter
- 后hòubehind