Listing a Sequence of Events With 先/首先，然后，最后

Another easy-peasy grammar structure that works just like English!  These words above will help us express the order of events. 

先 has a very simple function: it allows us to queue the start of a list of actions that must be done.

然后 is a conjunction, which is always used in the middle of a sequence of events.

In contrast, 最后 marks the end of a list of actions.

We are also going to focus on "in addition to...": 又 & 再. Even though they have the same meaning, we use them differently.

Sub. 先 first event. 然后 (Sub.) 又 second event. (etc)... 最后 last event When using “又”, we are expressing the order of events that have already happened.

Wǒmen xiān chīle běijīng kǎoyā, ránhòu yòu chīle shūcài, zuìhòu chīle yīxiē shuǐguǒ. ——> We had Peking duck first, then vegetables, and finally some fruit. 我们先吃了北京烤鸭，然后又吃了蔬菜，最后吃了一些水果。

Wǒ xiān chūqù guàngle jiē, ránhòu wǒ yòu qùle xuéxiào shàng zhōngwén kè, zuìhòu, wǒ qù kànle wǒ de péngyǒu. ——> First, I went out shopping, and then, I also went to school for Chinese class. Lastly, I went to see my friend. 我先出去逛了街，然后我又去了学校上中文课，最后，我去看了我的朋友。

Sub.先 First Event. 然后 Sub. 再 Second Event. (Etc)... 最后 Last Event

We use 再 to describe the order of events in...
1. our routine
2. the future

1.Routine

A：Nǐ zhōumò huì zuò shénme? ——> What do you do on weekends?        你周末会做什么？ B： Wǒ huì xiān hé péngyǒu chūqù wán, ránhòu wǒmen huì zài qù hē kāfēi. Zuìhòu, wǒmen huì yīqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng.        First, I [might] hang out with my friends. And then, we [might] also go drink coffee. Lastly, we [might] go watch a movie together.         我会先和朋友出去玩，然后我们会再去喝咖啡。最后，我们会一起去看电影。

NOTE: "会" can also indicate something you have a tendency to do/might do on a given weekend, etc.

2.Future events

A：Nǐ míngtiān dǎsuàn zuò shénme? ——> What are you planning to do tomorrow?        你明天打算做什么？ B：Wǒ dǎsuàn xiān zàijiā xiě zhōngwén zuòyè, ránhòu zài qù chāoshì mǎi cài. Zuìhòu,  qù yóuyǒng guǎn yóuyǒng.      First, I plan to do Chinese homework at home. And then, (I will) also go to the market to buy vegetables. Lastly, (I will) go to the swimming pool to swim.        我打算先在家写中文作业，然后再去超市买菜。最后，去游泳馆游泳。

首先，Sub. First Event. 然后 Sub. 又/再 Second Event. (Etc)... 最后 Last Event

You can also have 首先 as "first". However, 首先 can be at the front of the sentence OR after the subject, whereas 先 will always come AFTER the subject . It functions just like "先". BUT "首先" is definitely more formal than "先"; you will often see "首先" in written language.

Shǒuxiān, wǒmen yīqǐ chīle wǎnfàn. Ránhòu, wǒmen yòu yīqǐ liáotiān. Zuìhòu, wǒmen yīqǐ kànle yīgè diànyǐng.

首先，我们一起吃了晚饭。然后，我们又一起聊天。最后, 我们一起看了一个电影。

First, we ate dinner together. And then, we also chatted with each other. Lastly, we watched a movie together. 

How easy is that?  This structure is really useful when you are informing someone of a process that they should be using. It's also useful if you are trying to set up a series of events OR telling someone a series of events that already happened!