Sequential Compound Sentences: 先…再/然后
A sequential compound sentence puts two actions in order with 先 (xiān, first) before the first and 再 (zài) or 然后 (ránhòu, then) before the second, as in 我先吃饭，再看电视.
Pattern: 先 + Action 1, 再/然后 + Action 2
我先吃饭，再看电视。(I'll eat first, then watch TV.)
你先做作业，然后再玩游戏。(Do your homework first, then play games — 然后再 together = 'and then'.)
再 alone = 'then' (simple); 然后 = 'after that' (can combine as 然后再 for extra clarity). Both mark the SECOND action; 先 always marks the FIRST.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我先吃饭，再看电视。 | Wǒ xiān chīfàn, zài kàn diànshì. | I'll eat first, then watch TV. | Minimal frame 先...再. |
| 你先做作业，然后再玩游戏。 | Nǐ xiān zuò zuòyè, ránhòu zài wán yóuxì. | Do your homework first, then play games. | Adds 然后 combined with 再 for the second clause. |
| 他每天先起床，再洗脸，然后去上班。 | Tā měitiān xiān qǐchuáng, zài xǐliǎn, ránhòu qù shàngbān. | Every day he gets up first, then washes his face, then goes to work. | Extends to THREE sequential actions in one sentence. |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
先…再 (xiān…zài)
Puts two actions in order.
Structure: 先 + A, 再 + B
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你先想好，再回答。 | Nǐ xiān xiǎng hǎo, zài huí dá. | Think it through first, then answer. |
| 我们先去银行，再去商店。 | Wǒ men xiān qù yín háng, zài qù shāng diàn. | We will go to the bank first, then to the shop. |
| 先写作业，再玩手机。 | Xiān xiě zuò yè, zài wán shǒu jī. | Do the homework first, then play with your phone. |
Not: 我再吃饭，先洗手。 先 marks the first step and 再 the next: 我先洗手，再吃饭.
先…然后 (xiān…rán hòu)
Puts steps in order in a story.
Structure: 先 + A, 然后 + B
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 先坐地铁，然后换公共汽车。 | Xiān zuò dì tiě, rán hòu huàn gōng gòng qì chē. | Take the metro first, then change to a bus. |
| 她先洗了澡，然后睡觉。 | Tā xiān xǐ le zǎo, rán hòu shuì jiào. | She had a bath first, then went to sleep. |
| 他先读了一遍，然后又读了一遍。 | Tā xiān dú le yí biàn, rán hòu yòu dú le yí biàn. | He read it once, and then read it again. |
Not: 我先吃饭，然后先洗手。 The second step takes 然后 or 再, not another 先.
然后 (rán hòu)
Means 'and then' to continue a story.
Structure: A, 然后 + B
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他起床，然后喝了一杯水。 | Tā qǐ chuáng, rán hòu hē le yì bēi shuǐ. | He got up and then drank a glass of water. |
| 老师先说了一遍，然后让我们说。 | Lǎo shī xiān shuō le yí biàn, rán hòu ràng wǒ men shuō. | The teacher said it first, then had us say it. |
| 先左转，然后一直走。 | Xiān zuǒ zhuǎn, rán hòu yì zhí zǒu. | Turn left first, then walk straight on. |
Not: 我然后先吃饭。 然后 comes after the first step, not before it.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 3, conjunctions (连接分句或句子).
Compared side by side: 再 vs 然后.
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list Sequential Compound Sentences among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Sequential Compound Sentences
What does 承接复句 (Sequential Compound Sentences) mean in Chinese?
A sequential compound sentence puts two actions in order with 先 (xiān, first) before the first and 再 (zài) or 然后 (ránhòu, then) before the second, as in 我先吃饭，再看电视. It is an HSK 2 grammar point.
How do you use 承接复句 (Sequential Compound Sentences) in a sentence?
我先吃饭，再看电视。 — Wǒ xiān chīfàn, zài kàn diànshì. — I'll eat first, then watch TV. Minimal frame 先...再.
What do you need to know before 承接复句 (Sequential Compound Sentences)?
Serial Verb Sentences (HSK 2), Conjunctions (HSK 1). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What does 承接复句 (Sequential Compound Sentences) lead to?
Tight Compound (HSK 2). Each of them names 承接复句 (Sequential Compound Sentences) among its own prerequisites.
Can I use 然后 on its own, with no 先?
Yes. 然后 alone just means 'and then', and it is common when telling a story. With 先 it marks a clear order of steps.
What is the difference between 再 and 然后?
再 is shorter and fits a plan or instruction, as in 先洗手再吃饭. 然后 sounds more like a spoken sequence of events.
Sequential Compound Sentences is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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