Behind vs After: Differences (Learn instantly)

Behind vs After
Which sentence is right?
He runs behind her. 
Or
He runs after her.
                              If you are confused then check out the post.

First, we learn the meaning of Behind and After. 
What is the meaning of after?
The word after can be used in many contexts. In short, after means following in time, later in time, later than something or someone. It can be used as an preposition, conjunction, adverb, and adjective.
After in sentence:

1. We'll leave after the dinner. 
2. The soldier returned after the war.
3. I met her again the day after (following day) (as an adverb).
4. He returned after 50 years had passed. (as a conjunction)
5. In after years, we would meet regularly.

What is the meaning of Behind ?
Behind means at or towards the back of something or somebody. 
As a noun, it means buttocks, the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on.
Behind in sentence:

1. She is standing behind me.
2. Team India was two runs behind to win the World Cup.
3. They were stuck behind a large truck.

The differences between Behind and After, and their uses:
The word Behind and After are so confusing that we tend to use them interchangeably. Keep it in mind that these words are not interchangeable. 

1. After is used when there is a sense of order, like first, last, etc. Police were running after thieves; it means thieves are at first position and police are following them.

• Behind is used for position, like he is behind the box; it tells about his position.

2. The word after is used either figuratively or literally.

1. Bad lucks come one after one. (Fig.)
2. Grief comes after happiness. (Fig.)
3. She is the most beautiful girl, after Aishwarya. 

• The word behind is used only literally.

1. Treasures were found behind the wall.
2. A wounded tiger was found behind the bush.
3. I am behind you.
4. You can hide behind me.

Is "behind" a preposition or adverb?
Behind is both preposition and adverb. 
Behind can be used as a preposition, adverb and conjunction. In archaic writing, the word behind was used as an adjective, but it is no longer in use. 
As a noun, behind means a person's buttocks.

In a nutshell
Answer the question.
Which sentence is right?
He runs behind her.
Or
He runs after her.
Answer: Both of the sentences are correct. However, the meaning is different.

"He runs behind her" means a girl is at some position, like standing or sitting, and a boy runs back of her.

"He runs after her" means a girl is running and a boy is following her.

You can say, "He runs behind the house", but you can't say, "He runs after the house".

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