先后
xiān hoù · HSK 5
one after another
1️⃣2️⃣ 先后 = 先 (first/earlier) + 后 (after/later) — early-then-late, in order
Literal compound: 先 means 'earlier/first' and 后 means 'later/after'. Stacking them gives the abstract sense of sequence or priority: things happening one after another, or which comes first vs second.
先 — 𠂉 (person variant) on top + 儿 (legs) below
先 originally depicted a person with a foot or step shown above the legs 儿, suggesting someone walking ahead. From this image of going before others came the meanings 'first,' 'earlier,' and 'ahead.' The modern shape preserves the 'legs' radical underneath.
后 — 厂 cliff + 一 + 口 mouth
Originally depicted a ruler or sovereign issuing commands, showing a figure with a mouth giving orders. It came to mean 'queen' or 'empress.' In modern simplified Chinese, 后 also absorbed the meaning 'behind/after' from the traditional character 後, so context decides which sense applies.