Giving Instructions in Mandarin Chinese: First, Then, Next, Finally
Learn to sequence instructions in Mandarin with 先, 然后, 接着 and 最后. Build clear step-by-step sentences for cooking, study tasks and everyday routines at elementary level.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you give instructions in Mandarin, the order words carry the meaning. Instead of listing items, you connect actions: do this first, then that, next something else, and finally finish. The four most useful sequence words are 先 (xiān, first), 然后 (ránhòu, then), 接着 (jiēzhe, next) and 最后 (zuìhòu, finally). They usually come after the subject and before the verb, so the pattern is subject + sequence word + verb phrase. In this lesson you will learn to build short, natural instructions step by step, ask someone to repeat the order, and check that a task is finished.
By the end, you can…
- put 先, 然后, 接着 and 最后 in the correct place in a Mandarin sentence.
- give a short three- or four-step instruction for a daily task.
- ask someone to repeat or confirm the order of steps.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
先洗手，然后切菜。
First wash your hands, then cut the vegetables.
xiān xǐ shǒu, ránhòu qiē cài
A two-step instruction. 先 comes before the first verb; 然后 introduces the second action.
接着放盐。
Next, add salt.
jiēzhe fàng yán
接着 links a step that follows closely after the previous one. It often starts a new short sentence.
最后煮五分钟。
Finally, cook it for five minutes.
zuìhòu zhǔ wǔ fēnzhōng
最后 marks the last step. Put the time phrase after the verb: 煮五分钟, not 五分钟煮.
请再说一遍步骤。
Please say the steps again.
qǐng zài shuō yí biàn bùzhòu
A polite request when you did not catch the order. 步骤 means steps or procedure.
做完了吗？
Are you done? / Have you finished doing it?
zuò wán le ma
A yes/no question with 吗. 完 after the verb shows the action is completed.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic frame is: subject + sequence word + verb phrase. For example, 我先洗菜，然后切菜，接着炒菜，最后装盘。 (I first wash the vegetables, then cut them, next stir-fry them, and finally put them on a plate.) The subject 我 appears once at the start; later clauses can omit it because the subject is understood. Time expressions such as 五分钟 or 一会儿 go after the verb: 最后煮五分钟 (finally cook for five minutes). If you want to be more formal, 首先 (shǒuxiān) can replace 先 at the beginning of a longer set of instructions.
When to use it
Use 先 for the first action, 然后 for a general 'then', 接着 for a step that follows immediately, and 最后 for the final step. In everyday speech, 然后 is the most common connector and can appear several times: 先烧水，然后放面条，然后放青菜，最后放盐。 (First boil water, then add noodles, then add greens, and finally add salt.) 接着 is slightly more written or instructional, so it suits recipes and classroom directions. 最后 can also mean 'in the end' in a story, but in instructions it clearly marks the last step. To ask about order, say 先做什么？ (What do we do first?) or 然后呢？ (And then?).
Word order and negation
Sequence words come before the verb, not at the end of the sentence. Do not say 我洗手先; say 我先洗手. To tell someone not to do a step yet, use 先别 + verb: 先别放盐 (Don't add salt yet). To say a step is finished, use verb + 完: 切完菜 (finish cutting the vegetables). These small patterns keep instructions clear and natural.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
我们做西红柿炒鸡蛋。先打鸡蛋，然后切西红柿。
Let's make tomato and egg stir-fry. First beat the eggs, then cut the tomatoes.wǒmen zuò xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn. xiān dǎ jīdàn, ránhòu qiē xīhóngshì好。接着做什么？
Okay. What do we do next?hǎo. jiēzhe zuò shénme接着炒鸡蛋，最后放西红柿和盐。
Next stir-fry the eggs, and finally add the tomatoes and salt.jiēzhe chǎo jīdàn, zuìhòu fàng xīhóngshì hé yán明白了。先打鸡蛋，然后切西红柿，接着炒，最后放盐。
Got it. First beat the eggs, then cut the tomatoes, next stir-fry, and finally add salt.míngbai le. xiān dǎ jīdàn, ránhòu qiē xīhóngshì, jiēzhe chǎo, zuìhòu fàng yánA little context goes a long way
In Chinese homes and classrooms, instructions are often given as a short chain of verbs rather than long polite requests. Adding 请 (please) before a request such as 请再说一遍 is friendly and appropriate with strangers or teachers, while close friends may simply say 再说一遍. When you repeat steps back to confirm, using the full sequence 先…然后…接着…最后… shows you understood and is a common way to check a plan.
One thing to watch for
Putting the sequence word at the end of the sentence, as in 我洗手先 (I wash my hands first).
Try this instead: In Mandarin, sequence words come before the verb: 我先洗手 (wǒ xiān xǐ shǒu). The same position applies to 然后, 接着 and 最后: 我最后放盐 (I finally add salt).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate into Mandarin: 'First wash the vegetables, then cut them.'
Show a sample answer
先洗菜，然后切菜。
先 marks the first action and 然后 the second. You may add a subject, for example 你先洗菜，然后切菜, which is also correct and often clearer.
2Which word fits best for the last step: 先, 接着 or 最后? Complete: 煮五分钟，___ 装盘。
Show a sample answer
最后
最后 marks the final step, so 最后装盘 means 'finally put it on a plate'. 接着 could describe a following step but would not emphasize that it is the last one.
3Ask a classmate what to do first, using 先.
Show a sample answer
先做什么？
This is a natural short question. You can also say 我们先做什么？ if you want to include 'we'. Both are correct in everyday Mandarin.
Remember the frame: subject + 先 / 然后 / 接着 / 最后 + verb phrase. Keep each step short, and repeat the chain back to confirm you understood the order.
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