---
title: "先…，再/然后… in Chinese Grammar: First …, then …, With Examples"
description: "先…，再/然后…: first …, then …. Orders two actions: first one, then the other. 4 real lines from stories, each word explained."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/xian-comma-zai"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese grammar](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar)

# 先…，再/然后…

First …, then …

Orders two actions: first one, then the other.

## In stories

这是骗子很常用的办法：**先让你害怕，再让你转钱**。

[“我是警察，请把钱转给我” · Phone scams in China: how to spot them](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/phone-scams-in-china-how-to-spot-them#library-word-73-84) HSK 3

每次吃面，都**先把鸡蛋吃了，再慢慢吃面**。”

[墙上的照片 · The photo on the wall](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/photo-on-the-wall#library-word-150-162) HSK 3

约见面时，可以**先说哪个门，然后说门里还是门外**：“我们在商场东门外见。”

[我们都到了却没见面 · Same Place Different Door](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/same-place-different-door#library-word-104-119) HSK 3

她**先做一个大大的饼，再放一个鸡蛋**，有的还会放一根油条。

[中国人早饭吃什么？ · What do Chinese people eat for breakfast?](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-do-chinese-people-eat-for-breakfast#library-word-200-215) HSK 3

[Read “我是警察，请把钱转给我”](https://mandarinthewild.com/library/read/phone-scams-in-china-how-to-spot-them#library-word-73-84)

## More patterns

- [再也 + 不/没 never again; not any more](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/zaiye-bu)
- [再 + verb + 一遍/一次 (once more) … once more; one more time](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/zai-yibian)
- [既然 since; given that](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/jiran)
- [再 + adjective + 也… however …, still …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/zai-ye)
- [虽然…但是/可是… although …, …](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/suiran-danshi)
- [把 + object + verb do something to … (and it ends up changed)](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-grammar/ba)

## What does 先…，再/然后… mean in Chinese?

First …, then …. Orders two actions: first one, then the other.

## How common is 先…，再/然后…?

It comes up in 8 readings of the 392 stories and articles in our free Library.

## Does it correct my mistakes?

No. It shows which patterns a text uses and what each one does; it doesn’t mark errors. Paste a sentence you wrote to see whether it uses the pattern you meant.

## More free tools

- [Chinese dictionary](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dictionary)
- [Measure words](https://mandarinthewild.com/measure-words)
- [How hard is this text?](https://mandarinthewild.com/text-level)
- [Free Chinese stories](https://mandarinthewild.com/library)

Patterns found by our own parser; lines from our free Library.