First...Then (先...再/然后)

先...再 and 先...然后 both express sequential actions — "first A, then B." The difference between 再 and 然后 in this pattern is subtle but worth knowing.

先...再 is used for planned or suggested sequences — things that haven't happened yet or that you're recommending: 你先吃饭，再做作业 — "First eat, then do your homework." 我们先去超市，再去电影院 — "Let's go to the supermarket first, then the movie theater." Because 再 implies "afterward / next," it feels naturally forward-looking.

先...然后 can describe both future plans and past events: 他先洗了手，然后开始吃饭 — "He first washed his hands, then started eating" (past). 然后 literally means "after that," so it works as a neutral connector without the future-only restriction.

You can extend the sequence with more steps: 先...再...然后...最后... (first, then, after that, finally). For example: 先把菜洗干净，再切好，然后放进锅里，最后加盐 — "First wash the vegetables, then chop them, next put them in the pot, and finally add salt." This multi-step pattern is very common in instructions and storytelling.