～後で
after (doing)
～後で（あとで）marks the time after an action or event. It follows a verb in the た-form (食べた後で, “after eating”) or a noun + の (仕事の後で, “after work”).
It maps directly to English “after doing ...”.
～後で is the mirror image of ～前に (“before”).
1. After an action
The verb before 後で is always in the た-form, regardless of the tense of the whole sentence => by the time of the main clause, that action is already completed.
食べた後で散歩した。
“I took a walk after eating.”
- 食べた（たべた）= ate (past of 食べる, to eat)
- 後で（あとで）= after
- 散歩した（さんぽした）= took a walk (past of 散歩する, to take a walk)
2. After a noun event
With a noun, insert の before 後で.
授業の後で友達と話した。
“I talked with a friend after class.”
- 授業（じゅぎょう）= class, lesson
- の = links the noun to 後で
- 後で（あとで）= after
- 友達（ともだち）= friend
- と = with
- 話した（はなした）= talked (past of 話す, to talk)
How to form it
Verb た-form + 後で / Noun + の後で
- 食べる（たべる）= to eat → 食べた後で（たべたあとで）= after eating
- 終わる（おわる）= to end → 終わった後で（おわったあとで）= after it ends
- 仕事（しごと）= work → 仕事の後で（しごとのあとで）= after work
Key idea
Whatever stands before 後で happens first, and it must look completed — that is why the verb is always in the た-form, even in a sentence about the future.
Other N3 grammar
Updated .