Breakdown of wǒmen jīntiān hěn wǎn cái zuòwán gōngzuò.
很hěn
very
我们wǒmen
we
今天jīntiān
today
才cái
not until
晚wǎn
late
工作gōngzuò
work
做完zuòwán
to finish
Questions & Answers about wǒmen jīntiān hěn wǎn cái zuòwán gōngzuò.
What does the particle 才 (cái) do in this sentence?
It marks “not until/only then,” implying the action happened later than expected. So 很晚才 suggests “not until very late (did we) finish.”
Why is it 很晚才 and not 才很晚?
Is 很 necessary before 晚? Can I say 我们今天晚才做完工作?
- 很晚才 is the natural collocation.
- 晚才 alone sounds awkward.
- If you drop 很 and also drop 才, 我们今天晚做完工作 is possible but less idiomatic than adding 很 or 才.
- Note: 我们今天才做完工作 changes the meaning to “we only finished today (not earlier),” focusing on “today,” not “late at night.”
What’s the difference between saying 我们今天很晚做完工作 and 我们今天很晚才做完工作?
- 很晚做完: simply states “finished very late.”
- 很晚才做完: adds the “not until” nuance—later than expected, more emphatic/natural in this context.
Do I need 了 (le) after 做完?
Not required. 完 already encodes completion. Options:
- With an object: 我们今天很晚才做完工作 (very common).
- Without the object, many speakers add 了: 我们今天很晚才做完了 (“only then did we finish [it]”).
- With 把 for emphasis (and often with 了): 我们今天很晚才把工作做完了.
What exactly does 做完 mean here? How is it different from 完成?
- 做完 (zuòwán) = “do + finish” (verb + result complement), very common and colloquial.
- 完成 (wánchéng) = “complete/finish,” a single verb, a bit more formal. Examples:
- 我们今天很晚才做完工作。
- 我们今天很晚才完成工作。 (slightly more formal; both are fine)
Why not use 把: 我们今天很晚才把工作做完?
You can. 把 front-loads the object for emphasis on the result affecting it:
- 我们今天很晚才把工作做完（了）。 Both with or without 把 are natural; 把 puts more spotlight on “the work.”
Where can I place 今天 and the subject? Is 今天我们… okay?
Yes. Both are fine:
- 我们今天很晚才…
- 今天我们很晚才… Chinese commonly puts time expressions early in the sentence.
What’s the difference between 工作, 上班, 下班, and 加班 here?
- 工作 (gōngzuò): the work/tasks themselves.
- 上班 (shàngbān): be at work/work shifts.
- 下班 (xiàbān): get off work.
- 加班 (jiābān): work overtime. Alternative sentences:
- 我们今天很晚才下班。 (We got off work late.)
- 我们今天加班到很晚。 (We worked overtime until late.)
How does 才 compare to 就 (jiù)?
They’re opposites in timing/expectation:
- 才 = later than expected: 我们今天十点才做完工作。 (not until 10)
- 就 = earlier/sooner/easier than expected: 我们今天七点就做完工作了。 (as early as 7)
How do I say “We hadn’t finished even by late at night”?
Use negation with 没/没有 instead of 才:
- 到很晚我们都没做完工作。
- 一直到很晚也没做完工作。 (Using 才 with negation is generally not how you express this idea.)
Can I specify a concrete time with 才?
Yes:
- 我们今天十点才做完工作。 (not until 10)
- With “until”: 我们今天到十点才做完工作。
Any pronunciation tips (tone sandhi) for 很晚?
Yes. 很 (hěn) + 晚 (wǎn) is 3rd tone + 3rd tone, so 很 changes to rising tone in speech: pronounce it like hén wǎn, though it’s still written hěn wǎn in pinyin.
Can I omit 工作?
If context makes the object clear, yes:
- 我们今天很晚才做完。 or …才做完了。 If you want to keep it explicit, use 工作 or the 把 pattern: 把工作做完（了）.
Can I topicalize 工作?
Yes, for emphasis on the object:
- 工作我们今天很晚才做完。 This is a common topic–comment structure in Chinese.
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