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Nǐ děi xiān chī wán zǎofàn, zài qù yínháng.

你Nǐ　得děi　先xiān　吃chī　完wán　早饭zǎofàn，　再zài　去qù　银行yínháng。Nǐ děi xiān chī wán zǎofàn, zài qù yínháng.
You must finish breakfast first, then go to the bank.
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Questions & Answers about Nǐ děi xiān chī wán zǎofàn, zài qù yínháng.

What does the character 得 (děi) mean here, and how is it different from other 得?
  • Here 得 (děi) means must / have to.
  • There are three common readings of 得:
    • děi = must (modal verb), as in 你得先…
    • de (neutral tone) = structural particle after a verb/adjective, as in 吃得很快 (eat quickly)
    • dé = to get/obtain, as in 得到 (to obtain)
  • Don’t confuse modal 得 (děi) with structural 得 (de) after verbs.
Can I use 要, 必须, or 应该 instead of 得? What’s the difference?
  • 得 (děi): colloquial “have to/need to.”
  • 要 (yào): can mean “need to/going to/want to” (ambiguous). In this sentence it can work, but context must disambiguate.
  • 必须 (bìxū): strongest, formal “must,” non-negotiable.
  • 应该 (yīnggāi): “should/ought to,” weaker, a recommendation.
  • Examples:
    • 你得/要先吃完早饭，再去银行。
    • 你必须先吃完早饭，再去银行。
    • 你应该先吃完早饭，再去银行。
How do I negate this idea?
  • To say it’s not necessary: use 不用/不必/不需要.
    • 你不必先吃完早饭就可以去银行。
    • 你不用先吃完早饭就去银行吧。
  • To forbid: use 别/不要.
    • 别去银行。先把早饭吃完。
  • Avoid negating modal 得 (děi) directly with 不 in this meaning.
What does the 先…再… pattern do? Could I use 然后 instead of 再?
  • 先…再… lays out a planned sequence: do A first, then do B.
  • 然后 (ránhòu) also means “then,” but is more narrative/chronological. In instructions, 再 often feels more compact, step-by-step.
  • You can say: 你先吃完早饭，然后再去银行。 or 你先吃完早饭，再去银行。
  • Nuance: 再 often sounds more like a clear next step; 然后 can sound more like storytelling.
What’s the difference between 再 and 就 in this spot?
  • 再 = do B as the next step after A (neutral interval).
  • 就 = do B immediately/right away after A, often implying quick succession or ease.
  • Compare:
    • 你先吃完早饭，再去银行。 (next step)
    • 你先吃完早饭，就去银行。 (go right after finishing)
What exactly does 吃完 mean? How is it different from 吃了 or 吃好?
  • 吃完: “finish eating” (resultative complement 完 = completion).
  • 吃了: perfective aspect; “ate/has eaten” (doesn’t guarantee you finished).
  • 吃好: “eat well” or “finish eating satisfactorily/ready to go” (result quality).
  • So 先吃完早饭 emphasizes completion, not just having started or eaten a bit.
Could I say 把: 你得先把早饭吃完?
  • Yes. 你得先把早饭吃完，再去银行。
  • 把 front-loads the object to highlight disposing/handling it (finishing breakfast) before moving on. Meaning stays essentially the same, with a bit more focus on completing that object.
Do I need 了 anywhere in this sentence?
  • Not required here because it’s an instruction/requirement about sequence.
  • If describing an actual completed action in narration: 你吃完了早饭，就去银行了。
  • In the pattern V 完 (了) O 再 V…, the 了 after 完 is optional; including it can emphasize completion when it’s factual.
Can I just say 吃早饭 without 完? Does it change the meaning?
  • 吃早饭 = have breakfast (no built-in notion of finishing).
  • 吃完早饭 = finish breakfast.
  • In this sentence, 完 matters because the next step happens only after completion.
Where does 先 go? Is 你先得吃完早饭 okay?
  • Both are okay:
    • 你得先吃完早饭… (default)
    • 你先得吃完早饭… (slightly more emphasis on doing it first)
  • 先 is an adverb that typically appears before the verb phrase; moving it can tweak focus but not the core meaning.
Can I drop 你?
  • Yes, subjects are often omitted when clear:
    • 先吃完早饭，再去银行。 (imperative/advice)
  • Adding 吧 softens it: 先吃完早饭，再去银行吧。
Pronunciation tips: 得, 再, 银行
  • 得 (děi) = third tone (must). Don’t confuse with 得 (de) (neutral) after verbs.
  • 再 (zài) = fourth tone “then/again.” Don’t confuse with 在 (zài) “at/in,” same tone but different character/meaning.
  • 银行 (yínháng) = 2-2 tones; the second syllable is háng (not xíng).
Why is there a comma? Can I use 而且 or 和 to link the clauses?
  • The comma marks a pause between two sequential clauses.
  • Don’t use 而且 or 和 here; they mean “and/and also,” not “then/next.” Use 再/然后 for sequence.
How do I say “only after finishing breakfast will you go to the bank”?
  • Use 才: 你吃完早饭才去银行。
  • You can combine with obligation: 你得吃完早饭才去银行。
  • 才 highlights a necessary precondition.
Can I express the “before/after” idea with 之前/以后?
  • Yes:
    • 去银行之前，先把早饭吃完。
    • 吃完早饭以后，再去银行。
  • These sound natural and explicit.
Is 早饭 the same as 早餐? Any regional variants?
  • 早饭 (zǎofàn) and 早餐 (zǎocān) both mean “breakfast.” 早餐 is a bit more formal/standard; 早饭 is very common in speech.
  • You may also hear 早点 (especially in the north) meaning breakfast or breakfast foods.
How can I add a time word or frequency naturally?
  • Time/frequency adverbs go after the subject and before the verb phrase:
    • 你今天得先吃完早饭，再去银行。
    • 你每次都得先吃完早饭，再去银行。
How can I be more polite or softer?
  • Add 请/吧/先 or use a can/might expression:
    • 请先把早饭吃完，再去银行吧。
    • 可以先吃完早饭，再去银行吗？ (seeking agreement)
Can I add a measure for the “trip to the bank”?
  • Yes, use 一趟/一趟儿:
    • 你得先吃完早饭，再去一趟银行。
Does 再 here ever mean “again”?
  • 再 has two common meanings:
    • “again” (do something one more time): 再说一次 (say it again)
    • “then/after that” (sequence), as in your sentence.
  • Context disambiguates; here it clearly marks the next step.