HSKReadyGet the app（在）……之余: In Spare Time or in Addition
（在）……之余 can place another action in time outside a main activity, as in 工作之余, or add a reaction alongside a feeling, as in 惊讶之余. It is not simply a marker that two tasks happen simultaneously.
在阅读文献之余，她还整理了不同学派的论证方法。
Correct example. 在 is included; the second activity is presented as an addition to the work of reading.
Read the full explanation and examples
Meaning and pragmatic force
There are two useful readings. With an activity, 工作之余 often means “in time outside work,” adding an activity around the main commitment. With a reaction, 惊讶之余 can mean “besides feeling surprised,” adding another response. Do not reduce both to exactly simultaneous actions or to a rigid sequence in which the entire first activity must be finished.
Build the frame
The frame is （在） + an activity or circumstance + 之余 + a main clause. The activity before 之余 is usually expressed as a verb phrase or a compact noun phrase that names an activity, responsibility, or situation. The clause after 之余 supplies the additional action or point. Keep 之余 immediately after the first activity or circumstance.
- 之余 is fixed; do not replace 余 with a different word in this pattern.
- 在 may be included before the first activity, or omitted. Both forms occur naturally.
- The first slot names the activity or circumstance that frames the added action; the second slot states that added action.
- A comma commonly separates the opening frame from the following clause, especially when that clause is substantial.
在阅读文献之余，她还整理了不同学派的论证方法。
Correct example. 在 is included; the second activity is presented as an addition to the work of reading.
Choose the right setting
This construction is useful when you want to acknowledge an ongoing or substantial activity and then add another relevant action. It often has a composed, written, or formal tone, so it suits reports, essays, professional descriptions, and careful conversation. It can also be used in ordinary speech, but it may sound more considered than a short everyday phrase such as “after work.” The pattern highlights the relationship between two activities rather than simply locating one event at a point in time.
完成日常工作之余，他长期参与社区的法律咨询服务。
Correct example. 在 is omitted; the first activity frames an additional, ongoing commitment.
在出差之余，我把沿途访谈的资料按主题重新归档。
Correct example. 在 is included; the context relates the added organizing work to the circumstances of business travel.
Contrast with a simple time expression
以后 means “after” or “later” and locates an event relative to a time or event. （在）……之余 instead frames an additional activity against another activity or circumstance. Use 以后 when sequence is the main point; use 之余 when you want to foreground the first activity and add something else associated with it. They are not interchangeable in every sentence, and choosing one does not make the other grammatically wrong when the intended meaning changes.
照顾家人之余，林女士也为自己安排了固定的休息时间。
Correct example. The opening responsibility frames another relevant action; the sentence does not require the two activities to occur at exactly the same time.
听到这个消息，他惊讶之余也感到十分欣慰。
惊讶之余 adds a feeling to the initial surprise. It is not “free time after being surprised.”
- Ask what relationship you mean: a later point in time, or an additional action framed by another activity?
- Name a meaningful activity or circumstance before 之余, then state the added action in a complete clause.
- Use 在 when it helps the opening frame sound clear; omit it when the frame reads smoothly without it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I leave out 在?
Yes. The outline lists the pattern as （在）……之余, with 在 optional. Both 在阅读文献之余 and 阅读文献之余 are possible.
Does the second action always happen after the first one?
Not necessarily. 工作之余 often locates another activity outside working time, while 惊讶之余 adds another feeling. Neither use alone requires that a long-running activity has ended entirely or that both events happen at exactly the same instant.
Is this pattern only for formal writing?
No. It often sounds composed or relatively formal, which makes it useful in writing and careful speech, but register is a tendency rather than an absolute restriction.
