Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ zǎoshang hěn zǎo qǐchuáng, zhōngwǔ yǐhòu cái hē chá. - I get up very early in the morning; I only drink tea after noon.

很 is a degree adverb meaning “very/quite,” and here it makes 早 (“early”) sound natural as an adverbial phrase modifying 起床 (“get up”): 很早起床 = “get up very early/quite early.”
You don’t have to use 很 if you rephrase:
- 我早起 (“I get up early”) — set phrase, concise and idiomatic.
- 我起得很早 — uses 得 to describe degree.
- 我早上很早就起床 — adds 就 to emphasize earliness.
Avoid 我早上早起床; it’s not idiomatic. Say 我早起 or 我很早起床 instead.

Are 我很早起床, 我早起, and 我起得很早 all correct? Any nuance differences?

All are correct and common.
- 我很早起床: plain statement, “I get up very early.”
- 我早起: compact, habitual “I’m an early riser.”
- 我起得很早: focuses on the degree (“very early”), a bit more descriptive.
In narratives, you can add a time word to make it one-off: 我今天起得很早.

What exactly is 起床? Is it a separable verb? Where can I put 了?

起床 is a separable verb (离合词): literally “rise + bed,” meaning “to get up (out of bed).”
Common patterns:
- Aspect: 起床了 or 起了床 (both heard; 起床了 is very common).
- Degree: 起得很早.
- Sequence: 起床以后… / …以后起床.
Don’t insert random words between 起 and 床 (except fixed patterns like 起个大早 “get up super early”).

What’s the difference between 起床 and 醒来?

What does 才 mean here, and where does it go?

才 means “not until; only then.” It implies the action didn’t happen before that time.
Placement: it goes right before the verb phrase it limits: 中午以后才喝茶.
With modals: 中午以后才会/才能喝茶 (“only after noon will/can I drink tea”).

Why use both 以后 and 才? What if I drop 以后?

中午以后才喝茶 = “not until after noon do I drink tea” (the window starts after noon).
中午才喝茶 = “not until noon do I drink tea” (at noon, not earlier).
So 以后 narrows the meaning to “after noon,” not “at noon.”

What’s the difference between 才 and 就?

Does 才 mean “only” like 只? How are they different?

才 = “not until” (lateness versus expectation).
只(zhǐ) = “only” (exclusivity).
- 我中午以后只喝茶: After noon I drink only tea (not coffee/other drinks).
- 我只在中午以后喝茶: I drink tea only after noon (time restriction).
- 我中午以后才喝茶: I don’t drink tea until after noon (late timing).

Why is there no second 我 in the second clause? Is that normal?

Yes. Chinese often omits a repeated subject when it’s clear from context.
You could say 我中午以后才喝茶, but it’s natural (and concise) to drop the second 我.

Is the word order of time expressions correct? Where do time words usually go?

Typical order: Subject + Time + (Manner/Degree) + Verb + Object.
Your sentence fits: 我早上很早起床，中午以后才喝茶.
Variants are fine: 早上我很早起床; 我中午以后才喝茶. Keep 才 directly before the verb phrase.

What’s the difference between 早上, 上午, and 早晨?

How is 中午以后 different from 下午?

中午以后: “after noon (12:00),” starting right after noon.
下午: “afternoon,” roughly 1–6 p.m. If you mean strictly “after 12,” 中午以后/过了中午 is clearer.

Why is there no measure word with 茶? When do I need one?

茶 is a mass noun; when speaking generally, no measure word is needed: 喝茶 “drink tea.”
Use a measure word when specifying quantity: 喝一杯茶 (a cup of tea), 喝两壶茶 (two pots), 喝点儿茶 (a bit of tea).

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

早上 is usually pronounced with a neutral tone on 上: zǎoshang.
Third-tone sandhi: 很早 is pronounced “hén zǎo” (很 changes to a rising tone before another third tone).
起床: qǐchuáng; 才: cái; 喝茶: hē chá.
The rhythm groups as: 我早上｜很早｜起床，｜中午以后｜才｜喝茶.

Can I add 就 in the first clause for emphasis?

Yes: 我早上很早就起床. 就 strengthens the sense of “early/as soon as,” and pairs nicely with the second clause’s 才 for contrast: “I get up very early in the morning, but I don’t drink tea until after noon.”