Based on the dictionary, 之后 = after, afterwards while 过后 = afterwards, after. I wanted to find the difference in usage between those two words, so I analysed some sample sentences. I feel like 过后 is mostly used for describing "after the event" while 之后 seems to fit for anything. Is 过后 and 之后 used as I described or are there other ways to differentiate their usages?
2 Answers
"(noun) 之后" = "after (noun)"
Example:
"2018 之后" = "after 2018"
"暴風之后" = "after the storm"
"(noun) 过后" = "after (noun) had passed"
Example:
"2018 过后" = "after 2018 had passed"
"暴風过后" = "after the storm had passed"
"之后 (verb)" / "过后 (verb)" = "afterward (verb)"
Example:
"之后再補償" = "compensate afterward"
"过后再補償" = "compensate afterward"
"(verb) 之后" = "after (verb)"
Example:
"清朝灭亡之后" = "After Qing Dynasty ended"
"政府成立之后" = "After the the government is founded"
we cannot use "verb + 过后". Both "清朝灭亡过后" and "政府成立过后" are grammatically incorrect
bkrs：过后 (1) [afterwards]∶往后 这个问题先这么解决, 有什么事, 过后再说 (2) [later]∶后来 那件事我过后才知道 after the event syn. 后来, 后头, 嗣后, 随后, 过后 may not occur as one word in phrases like (taken from bkrs) 仔细想过后再动作。紧急情况过后的评价.连雨天过后出现了晴天.where 过 functions as experienced action marker,1) completion of an action 2) that an action has taken place, but does not continue up to the present, and 后 as postposition corresponding to English preposition,
on the other hand 之后 occurs as one word both as adverb: afterwards, later 之后他到国外去了 and postposition: after,从那之后 since then 两周之后 她毕业之后 天黑之后 syn. 后, 往后, 尔后, 以后
