98649
Lots of sites say that **過ぎ{すぎ}** means _past_ and that **後{ご}** means _after_
when using them as a suffix in time expressions. However, when I read
sentences with English translations through the internet then the two suffix
translations are the same.

So my question is: are there any differences between the two suffixes? Or are
they interchangeable?

For example:

> もう８時{じ}過ぎ{すぎ}だ。= もう８時{じ}後{ご}だ。

> 午後{ごご}4時{じ}過ぎ{すぎ}には家{いえ}にいます。 = 午後{ごご}4時{じ}後{ご}には家{いえ}にいます。
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-19T16:24:19.647
98645
2023-02-19T23:20:36.870
2023-02-19T16:30:14.307
7944
40425
question
expressions suffixes time
Are 過ぎ and 後 always interchangeable when used as a suffix in time expressions?
N時過ぎ is _(a few minutes) past N o'clock_ and opposite of N時前= _(a few minutes)
to N o'clock_.

後{ご} cannot come after N時: 8時後 etc are wrong. Also, it does not have the
meaning of _shortly_ that 過ぎ has.

  * 終業後 after work
  * 完了後 after completion

When you say _after N o'clock'_ , e.g., like in the following,

  * When will you be available (say, for meeting) after 2 o'clock?

以降 or より後{あと} is used.

  * 2時以降で/2時より後でご都合の良い時間はありますか.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-19T23:20:36.870
98649
2023-02-19T23:20:36.870
45489
98645
answer