Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Later in Spanish: Después, Luego & Más Tarde
Después · adverb · dehs-PWEHS
Later in Spanish can be después, luego, or más tarde. Después is the most versatile — it works alone or in phrases like después de (after). Luego is informal and conversational. Más tarde specifies a later point in time.
Después: dehs-PWEHS (stress on the second syllable). Luego: LWEH-goh. Más tarde: mahs TAHR-deh.
Te llamo después.
I'll call you later.
Later in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for later, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| después | later | dehs-PWEHS | Default, widely understood |
| más tarde | later | later in time, very common | |
| luego | later | then/later, casual speech |
How Native Speakers Use Después
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Casual goodbye
¡Hasta luego! Nos vemos más tarde.
See you! We'll meet up later.
Hasta luego is one of the most common farewells in Spanish — literally until later.
Sequencing events
Primero estudia y después sales con tus amigos.
First study and then you can go out with your friends.
Después sequences actions, equivalent to then or afterwards.
Postponing something
¿Podemos hablar más tarde? Ahora estoy ocupada.
Can we talk later? I'm busy right now.
Más tarde explicitly contrasts with ahora (now), emphasizing the time gap.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Después
Using después de without a noun or infinitive
Incorrect: Después de, vamos a cenar.
Correct: Después, vamos a cenar. / Después de eso, vamos a cenar.
Después de requires an object (noun or infinitive). If nothing follows, drop the de or add a pronoun like eso.
Confusing luego with lugar
Incorrect: Nos vemos en luego. (meaning: later)
Correct: Nos vemos luego.
Luego means later/then and does not take a preposition before it. En lugar means in place of — a completely different word.
Lock in Later Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Después used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using después in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Te llamo después. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
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Common Questions About Later in Spanish
- What is the difference between después and luego?
- Both mean later, but después is slightly more formal and can combine with de to mean after. Luego is casual and interchangeable with después in most everyday contexts.
- How do you say see you later in Spanish?
- The most common is ¡Hasta luego! You can also say Nos vemos más tarde or simply Nos vemos.
- Can I use después at the beginning of a sentence?
- Después is very flexible and works in any position — it can start a sentence (Después fuimos al cine), appear mid-sentence, or end one (Lo hago después).