Saying "later" in Chinese

[transformation]

How do you say the word "later" in Chinese? I know chinese vocabulary used is heavily dependent on context. I work in a hospital setting where I am required to interact with my patients in mandarin. For example:

 

Patient: 请问我几点去动手术？

Me： 后来下午四点左右。

I am trying to say "later, at around 4pm." Is my use of 后来 correct here?

[imron]

No, 后来 means afterwards, and refers to events that have happened in the past (e.g. if you had already described one event that happened in the past, then you use 后来 to refer to another event that happened after that).  You can't use it to describe future events.

 

In the above context, I would just say 下午四点左右.

[Kenny同志]

"Later" can be translated as 待會兒 if it's a short while. I used to hold the opinion that 'later' means a while after the point you are speaking but I was wrong. From what I've observed, it can be stretched to several days long.

 

So given the context you've provided, I'd probably translate the second line as '待會兒四點左右'.

[Lu]

You can also use 晚一點. 晚一點再作，下午四點左右。

[abcdefg]

Kenny #3 -- I've been corrected by local friends (Kunming) with regard to when to use 一会儿 or 待一会儿 and when to use 以后。 If it's just a minute or two, they want me to use 一会儿, as in 请等一会儿。 That often gets shortened colloquially here to 稍等, especially in a casual restaurant.

 

But if I want to tell a shopkeeper that I will be back in a day or two to buy his goods after I've had a chance to look around in another part of town, my friends want me to say 我以后回来 or something more specific, such as 我几天后回来。  

 

In other words, 一会儿 or 待一会儿 for a short time later, and 以后 for a longer time later. Maybe it's a regionalism and of course I also realize such time statements are never expected to be precise. (Especially not in Kunming where punctuality is not a high priority and 请等一会儿 can stretch into what feels like a long wait. )

[imron]

小等

小等 or 稍等?

[abcdefg]

It should really be 稍等。 Wasn't even a typo, I just remembered it wrong. Thanks.

[skylee]

The context of the OP's sentence is important. He needs something the fits what he wants to say. 稍等 is not suitable.

PS - I would use #4.

[陳德聰]

Later seems to have quite a few senses:

 

- rather than sooner, more late 晚一点
- in a bit 待/等(一)会, 等一下
- afterward in succession 以后

[anonymoose]

You can say 晚点的时候, but just stating the time would be more natural.

[Kenny同志]

If it's just a minute or two, they want me to use 一会儿, as in 请等一会儿。 That often gets shortened colloquially here to 稍等, especially in a casual restaurant.

 

In fact, 稍等 is slightly more formal than 等一會兒. For example, I'd use （請）稍等 to a stranger or on a formal occasion and 等一會兒 to a friend.

 

But if I want to tell a shopkeeper that I will be back in a day or two to buy his goods after I've had a chance to look around in another part of town, my friends want me to say 我以后回来 or something more specific, such as 我几天后回来。

I wouldn't use 以後 and 回來 in the situation you described.   以後 means  from now on or from a certain point mentioned by the speaker on; a few examples:

 

你以後打算做什麽？

以後的事，誰都沒法預料。

十一點以後，公園裡的人就很少了。

我以後會回來的。

[The last example sentence gives me the feeling that the action of 回來 won't happen in the immediate future or in one or two days, though technically it can.]

 

 

回來 also sounds weird but I can't quite explain it.

 

In the situation you described, to say 'I'll be back in a day or two,' I'd probably go with '我等兩天再過來.'

[abcdefg]

#11-- Thanks Kenny.

 

#9 -- I often hear 晚一点 in the airport. 我的航班晚一点起飞。

 

#8 -- Realize 稍等 would not be appropriate for the original poster's situation. I rambled off topic.

[陳德聰]

Yes well that would make sense since Chinese airports are where flights go to get delayed.

[Allen Zhang]

用过一会，比较贴切。

Using过一会is more suitable.