verb HSK 5
Traditional 延後
to postpone · to delay · to defer
Meaning
延后 means to push something back to a later time or date. It combines 延 (to extend, prolong) and 后 (after, later) to express the action of moving an event, deadline, or appointment forward in time. This is a common verb used in both formal and informal contexts when plans need to be rescheduled.
Usage
延后 is frequently used in professional and academic settings when discussing schedule changes, deadlines, or meetings. It's more neutral and formal than casual expressions like 推迟. Native speakers often use it with time expressions to specify how long something is being delayed (e.g., 延后两天 'postpone by two days').
Examples
- 01由于天气原因，会议延后到下周三举行。, .Due to weather reasons, the meeting has been postponed to next Wednesday.
- 02老师决定把考试延后两天。.The teacher decided to postpone the exam by two days.
Characters
Common collocations
- 延后到postpone to/until
- 延后几天postpone by several days
- 决定延后decide to postpone
Antonyms
Origin
The word combines 延 (extend) with 后 (later/after) to literally mean 'extend to later,' creating the sense of postponement.