followed
word · lemma: follow
/ˈfɑɫoʊd/
FAH-lohd
/fˈɒləʊd/
FOL-ohd
Definition
Past tense of 'follow'. It means went behind someone or something, came after in order, obeyed instructions, or understood what someone was saying.
Usage & Nuances
Very common and flexible. Common patterns are 'follow someone', 'follow instructions', 'follow the story', and 'follow after'. Learners often confuse the physical meaning (go behind) with the abstract ones (understand, obey, come next).
Spanish: siguió - siguieron - siguió a - siguió las instruccionesPortuguese (BR): seguiu - seguiram - foi atrás de - seguiu as instruçõesPortuguese (PT): seguiu - seguiram - foi atrás de - seguiu as instruçõesChinese (Simplified): 跟随了 - 按照做了 - 听懂并跟上了Chinese (Traditional): 跟隨了 - 按照做了 - 聽懂並跟上了Hindi: पीछे गया - पालन किया - बात समझ पायाArabic: تبع - التزم بـ - فهم وتابعBengali: অনুসরণ করেছিল - অনুসরণ করা হয়েছিলRussian: последовал - следовала - следовалиJapanese: 従った - ついてきたVietnamese: đã theo - đã làm theoKorean: 따랐다Turkish: takip ettiUrdu: پیروی کی - تعاقب کیاIndonesian: mengikuti - diikuti
Example Sentences
The dog followed me home.
basic
She followed the teacher's instructions.
basic
She followed me on social media after the party.
natural
A loud noise followed the flash.
basic
I followed what he was saying, but it was still confusing.
natural
No one followed up on my email, so I called again.
natural