après

Après is a French preposition and adverb meaning after or following in time or sequence. It is used to indicate what comes later, with nouns (après le dîner, après la pluie) and with phrases that specify a moment or period (après-midi, meaning afternoon). It also appears in expressions that refer to events following another action, such as après avoir mangé (after having eaten) or après qu’il est parti (after he left).

Grammatical use and constructions can vary. When followed by a noun or noun phrase, après governs that element directly (après le repas). When introducing a clause, après can be used as après que + indicative (Après qu’il est parti) or with an infinitive form to express a sequence relative to the subject (après avoir quitté les lieux, after having left the place). In set phrases, après forms part of compound terms such as après-midi (afternoon), après-coup (retrospectively or in hindsight), and après-ski (social or recreational activities after a day of skiing).

Etymology and distribution: après originates in Old French as aprés, with continued use in Modern French. It functions across time expressions and idiomatic phrases, and its meaning remains closely tied to the notion of one event occurring subsequent to another.

See also: French prepositions, time expressions in French, common French idioms involving time.