wǒ yīnggāi huí jiā, ránhòu zuò fàn gěi tā chī.

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Breakdown of wǒ yīnggāi huí jiā, ránhòu zuò fàn gěi tā chī.

• 家jiā: home
• 吃chī: to eat
• 回huí: to return

Questions & Answers about wǒ yīnggāi huí jiā, ránhòu zuò fàn gěi tā chī.

What does the connector 然后 do here? Could I use 以后 or 再 instead?

• 然后 (ránhòu) links steps in sequence: “then/after that.” It’s great for listing actions.
• 以后 (yǐhòu) is “after(wards)” in a time sense. You’d restructure: 回家以后，给她做饭 (“After getting home, [I’ll] cook for her.”).
• 再 (zài) means “then/next” and often pairs with 先 (xiān): 先回家，再做饭给她吃.
• You can combine: 然后再 to stress “then and only then”: 回家，然后再做饭.

Do I need 了 here to show completion or “it’s about time”?

• As written (no 了), it’s a neutral plan/obligation.
• 我应该回家了 adds the nuance “It’s time for me to go home (now).”
• If you want to stress “after arriving,” use: 回家以后再做饭 or 回到家以后再做饭. Using 了 on 回家 is not the way to express “after arrival.”

Can I change the word order around 给? Are these all okay: 给她做饭 / 做饭给她吃 / 做给她吃?

Yes, all are natural, with slight focus differences:

• 给她做饭 (gěi tā zuòfàn): emphasizes the beneficiary “for her.”
• 做饭给她吃 (zuòfàn gěi tā chī): emphasizes the action “cook,” plus the purpose “for her to eat.”
• 做给她吃 (zuò gěi tā chī): emphasizes “make (it) and give (it) to her to eat.”
• 给她做饭吃 is also common and colloquial.

Is the final 吃 necessary? Could I just say “给她做饭”?