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Sequencing Actions with 先……，再/然后……
Use 先……，再…… or 先……，然后…… to present one action before a later action. Both forms make the sequence clear; 再 is especially common for the next step in a plan or instruction, while 然后 explicitly moves the account forward.
我先做完作业，再看电视。
Both actions are the speaker’s plan; finishing comes first.
Read the full explanation and examples
Meaning and the choice between 再 and 然后
The pattern gives an order: 先 introduces the first action, then 再 or 然后 introduces a later one. 再 is common for a next step in a plan or instruction; 然后 can move a narrative forward more explicitly. These are tendencies, not a rule that one must be future and the other past. The expression gives sequence, not an either-or choice. It does not by itself make the second action optional.
我先做完作业，再看电视。
Both actions are the speaker’s plan; finishing comes first.
她先去银行，然后去超市。
The same subject carries out both actions.
Formation
A common frame is subject + 先 + first action, then 再/然后 + second action with the same understood subject. If the actors differ, name them: 你先检查，我再提交. 再 follows the second subject 我 here. 然后 can also introduce a full second clause, as in 我先发文件，然后你检查. The word order must fit the chosen connector, not a mechanical insertion before any subject.
请先打开电脑，然后输入你的名字。
This is an instruction with a clear order.
Plans and everyday arrangements
Use it to explain a planned order. In the homework example, 做完 explicitly requires finishing the homework before watching television. It is the speaker’s plan, not a universal instruction that everyone must follow.
我先做完作业，再看电视。
Both actions are the speaker’s plan; finishing comes first.
The bank example can describe an itinerary: she goes to the bank first and the supermarket afterward. The subject is 她, not the speaker. If the order matters, reversing the two actions changes the sequence being described.
In the eating example, 好吗？ invites agreement with a proposed sequence: eat first and discuss the issue afterward. That question asks the listener to accept the plan; it does not make eating and discussing mutually exclusive alternatives.
我们先吃饭，再讨论这个问题，好吗？
The final question makes the sequence a suggestion.
A practical check
- Ask: which action happens first, and which happens afterward? The clause with 先 should identify the earlier action.
- Check that 再 or 然后 introduces the later action, rather than presenting it as simultaneous.
- Use 再 and 然后 as the listed alternatives in this pattern. Choose based on whether you want a compact next-step feel or a more explicit transition; both can express the sequence.
- If a different connector changes the relationship between the actions, explain the new meaning instead of calling it ungrammatical.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use 再 and 然后 interchangeably?
In this listed sequence pattern, both can introduce the later action. Their tone and emphasis can differ: 再 is often concise for the next step, while 然后 can make the transition more explicit. Context and natural phrasing still matter.
Must I repeat the subject?
Not when the same subject clearly performs both actions; it is commonly stated once. Repeat or add a subject when the actor changes or clarity requires it.
