"tras" vs "despues de" which do I use?

Question

both mean "after" so how does one determine which to use in a sentence?

Answer 1

Tras can also mean something like 'chase after'. Anda tras su novia como un perrito. It wouldn't have quite that idea if you used 'despues'. Another example 'anda tras un puesto nuevo' looking for (chasing after) a new job.

Answer 2

In my opinion both mean the same and can be used in any context

Followed by a noun:

Después de la derrota de Grecia

or

Tras la derrota de Grecia

Followed by a verb:

Después de comer un rico asado

or

Tras comer un rico asado

Though in Argentina we use "después de" more often than "tras"

Hope it helps!!

Benz, "Tras" after a verb sounds really strange to me. Could this be just usage in Argentina? - 005faa61, JUN 22, 2010

Answer 3

Hi, Richard-Kozi.

To my knowledge "después de" can be used in any sentence to mean "after" (depués de comer, después del partido, después de ella, etc.). "Tras" can also be used in any sentence, but it sounds a little strange to use it before an infinitive. Thus, "día tras día" is a very common usage, but "después de llegar" sould sound more correct.

However, I think some of this is regional. I have heard people say "tras llegar", but not commonly.