Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ xiān hē yìdiǎnr shuǐ, zài qù gōngsī. - I’ll drink a little water first, then go to the company.

先 marks the first action; 再 marks the next step, “then/after that.”
They’re commonly paired, but in context you can use just one: e.g., 你先喝水 (First, drink water). Later you might say 再去公司 (Then go to the office).

Is 再 (zài) here the same “again” as in “do it again”?

Here 再 means “then/afterwards.”
For “again,” 再 usually appears with a repeatable action and often implies “do it one more time in the future,” e.g., 再来一次. The pair 先…再… strongly cues the “then” meaning.

Can I use 然后 (ránhòu) instead of 再?

Yes: 我先喝一点儿水，然后去公司。

再 feels a bit tighter and is common in instructions/steps.
然后 is more narrative/chronological. Both are natural here.

Where do 先 and 再 go?

They go directly before the verb phrase they modify: 先喝…，再去…. Don’t move them to the end of the clause.

Why isn’t the subject repeated in the second part? Should it be “我再去公司”?

Chinese often omits a repeated subject when it’s the same. …，再去公司 is fine. You can say …，我再去公司, but it’s usually unnecessary.

Do I need 了 (le) in this sentence?

No. Without 了, it reads like a plan/intention or a general sequence. If reporting completed actions, you could say: 我先喝了一点儿水，再去了公司。

Why is it 喝一点儿水 and not “喝一水” or “喝水一点儿”?

Mass nouns like 水 don’t take “一 + noun” directly.
Quantity goes before the noun: 一点儿 + 水.
Correct patterns: 喝一点儿水 / 喝点儿水 / 喝一杯水. “喝水一点儿” is ungrammatical.

What’s the difference among 一点儿, 一点, and 点儿?

一点儿 (yìdiǎnr) and 一点 (yìdiǎn) mean the same; 儿 is a Northern/Beijing-style ending (erhua).
点儿 is a clipped form often used after verbs: 喝点儿水.
Taiwan Mandarin typically uses 一點/點 (no “儿”).

How do I pronounce the 儿 (r) in 一点儿?

It’s an r-colored ending on diǎn: diǎnr. The 儿 is neutral tone and merges into the syllable, not a separate full syllable.

Why is 一 in 一点儿 pronounced yì (fourth tone), not yī?

Tone-sandhi: 一 becomes second tone (yí) before a fourth tone, and fourth tone (yì) before first/second/third tones. Since 点 (diǎn) is third tone, 一 becomes yì: yìdiǎnr.

What’s the difference between 一点儿 and 有点儿?

一点儿 expresses a small quantity or degree and is neutral: 喝一点儿水, 晚一点儿.
有点儿 typically precedes adjectives/verbs and often implies an undesired/slight excess: 有点儿累, 有点儿贵. It’s not used with bare nouns: “有点儿水” is odd.

Can I say 喝一些水 instead? Any nuance?

Yes. 一些 = “some,” usually a bit more indefinite and potentially more than 一点儿 (“a little”). Both are fine here.

Why is there no measure word with 水?

Because 水 is a mass noun. You can quantify it roughly with 一点儿/一些, or precisely with a measure word: 一杯水, 一瓶水, 一口水.

Is 去公司 the same as 去上班?

去公司: go to the office (the place).
去上班: go to work (start working/your shift).
They often overlap in casual speech, but the focus differs slightly (place vs activity).

Can I use 到公司 or 去到公司?

到公司 emphasizes arrival: 我九点到公司.
去公司 emphasizes going toward: 我要去公司.
去到公司 is regional/dialectal; avoid it in standard Mandarin.

Do I need 的 in 去公司?

No. 的 marks modification/possession. Here 去 + 地点名词 is the normal pattern: 去公司/去学校/去超市.

Is the comma necessary? Could I drop it?

The comma marks a natural pause. In casual writing you can omit it: 我先喝一点儿水再去公司. It’s still clear.

Can I drop 水 and just say 我先喝一点儿，再去公司?

Yes, if the object (water/tea/coffee) is clear from context. Keep 水 if it might be ambiguous.

If I say 先去公司，再喝一点儿水, does it change the meaning?

It just reverses the order of actions. Grammar remains the same.

Could I say 先要喝一点儿水?

Yes. 先要… adds “need/want to first…” and sounds slightly more purposeful. The original with bare 先 is the most neutral.