Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ xiàbān yǐhòu zǒu, nǐ xiàwǔ zài dǎ diànhuà. - I’ll leave after work; call again in the afternoon.

Here 走 means “to leave/go (away),” not “to walk.” If you want to say “walk (on foot),” use 走路 (e.g., 我下班以后走路回家 “I walk home after work”). You can also specify the destination with 回/到, e.g., 我下班以后回家/到超市去.

Is 我下班以后走 natural, or should I say 我下班以后就走?

Both are grammatical. Adding 就 highlights immediacy/sequence: 我下班以后就走 = “I’ll leave right after I get off work.” Without 就, it’s a neutral “after work, I’ll leave” (timing less emphasized). If you want “not until,” use 才: 我下班以后才走.

Where can 以后 go in the sentence?

我下班以后走 (subject + clause + 以后 + verb) — common
下班以后我走 (time phrase fronted) — also common Avoid 我以后下班走 (ungrammatical; 以后 modifies the time of leaving, not the act of “getting off work”).

Why isn’t there a future-tense word like “will”?

Chinese doesn’t require a future marker. Time phrases (like 以后, 下午) situate the action. You can add:

要/会 (intention/expectation): 我下班以后会/要走
打算/准备 (plan): 我打算下班以后走 They add nuance but aren’t mandatory.

Why no 了 after 走?

了 marks a completed action or a change of state. Since this sentence talks about a future action, 了 isn’t needed. If it’s imminent, you might hear 我要走了 (“I’m about to leave now”). For past: 我下班以后走了.

What does 再 mean here—“again” or “then/later”?

It can mean either depending on context:

“again” (if the person already called once): 你下午再打电话 = call again this afternoon.
“then/later, next step” in a sequence (often an instruction): 你下午再打电话 = call later in the afternoon (not now). Both readings are common; the situation clarifies which.

Why use 再 instead of 又?

再 is for future or planned repetition/next step: 明天再说, 下午再打电话.
又 is typically for repetition that has (just) happened or is happening: 他下午又打电话了 (“he called again this afternoon”). So an instruction “call again (later)” needs 再, not 又.

Is the word order 你下午再打电话 correct? Could I say 你再下午打电话?

Correct order is Subject + Time + Adverb + Verb: 你下午再打电话. Saying 你再下午打电话 is unnatural; 再 should go before the verb it modifies (打), and the time phrase typically precedes adverbs like 再.

Do I need 给我 in 打电话 to say “call me”?

Not necessarily. In context (speaking to the caller), 你下午再打电话 is understood as “call me again this afternoon.” To be explicit, add the recipient: 你下午再给我打电话. For someone else: 你下午再给他/她打电话.

Is 打电话 a separable verb? How can it be used?

Yes, it’s a verb-object (离合词). Common patterns:

给人打电话: 给他打电话
Aspect: 打过/正在打/打了一个电话
Counting: 再打一次电话; 打了两通/两个电话
Negation/imperative: 别打电话; 晚点再打电话

How do I say “Call me again this afternoon” more explicitly and politely?

今天下午再给我打一次电话吧。
麻烦你今天下午再给我打电话。
请你下午再打电话，可以吗？ Adding 吧 softens it; 麻烦/请 add politeness. 一次 makes “one more time” explicit.

Does 下午 mean “this afternoon” by default?

Usually yes, if it’s still the same day. If you mean another day, specify: 今天下午, 明天下午, 周五下午. If it’s already evening, say 明天下午再打电话.

What’s the difference between 下班 and related words like 下课?

下班: finish work/shift
下课: class ends
下班以后… / 下课以后… are parallel: “after work” / “after class.”

Can I replace 走 with 离开 or 回家?

走 is casual “leave.” 我下班以后走.
离开 is a bit more formal and often takes an object: 我下班以后离开公司.
回家 specifies destination: 我下班以后回家. Choose based on how specific/formal you want to be.

Is the comma between the two clauses okay? Could I connect them?

Yes, the comma is fine to separate two related statements. You could add connectors for clarity:

然后/再: 我下班以后走，然后你下午再打电话。
那/所以 (more conversational): 我下班以后走，那你下午再打电话。 Without a connector, it’s a natural pause in speech.

How can I soften 你下午再打电话 so it doesn’t sound too direct?

Add:

吧: 你下午再打电话吧。
麻烦/请: 麻烦你下午再打电话；请下午再打电话。
A reason: 现在不方便，你下午再打电话吧。

Is there any ambiguity in 再 here?

Slightly. It can mean “again” (repetition) or “later/then” (sequence). If you want to remove ambiguity:

Repetition: 你下午再给我打一次电话。
Sequence (not now, later): 你下午再打电话吧，现在不方便。

What’s the difference between 以后 and 之后?

以后 works for both specific “after X” and general “in the future”: 下班以后走; 以后再说.
之后 is a bit more formal/literary and typically ties to a specific reference point: 下班之后走. It’s not usually used for the broad “in the future” sense (prefer 以后 for that).