Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒmen chīwán wǎnfàn jiù qù gōngyuán. - We’ll go to the park right after finishing dinner.

It links two actions and highlights a tight, expected sequence: as soon as A happens, B follows. Here it means “right after” or “and then (immediately).” It doesn’t mark tense by itself; it shows the relationship between the two clauses.

Can I replace 就 with 然后 (ránhòu)?

You can, but the nuance changes:

我们吃完晚饭就去公园: immediate/expected next step.
我们吃完晚饭然后去公园: neutral step-by-step “and then,” not necessarily immediate.
Both are grammatical; 就 feels tighter and more natural if the idea is “right after.”

Why is there no 了 (le) after 吃完? When would I use 了?

No 了 is needed if you’re just stating a plan or a general sequence. Use 了 to mark completed past events or a new situation:

Past: 昨天我们吃完晚饭就去了公园。
Variant: 昨天晚饭吃完了，我们就去公园。
Announcing a decided plan/new situation: 我们吃完晚饭就去公园了。

What’s the difference between 吃完 and 吃了?

吃完 emphasizes completion (finished eating).
吃了 marks that the action occurred; it doesn’t inherently say “finished,” though with meals it usually implies you ate that meal.
Examples:
我吃完晚饭了。 I finished dinner.
我吃了晚饭。 I had dinner (occurred; completion is implied by context, not by the form).

Where does 就 go? Can I put it at the end?

就 sits before the second action: 我们吃完晚饭就去公园. Don’t put 就 at the end; it must come between the two linked parts. You can also front the time phrase: 吃完晚饭我们就去公园.

Is 吃完晚饭 better than 晚饭吃完? Are both okay?

Both are fine:

吃完晚饭就去公园 (neutral).
晚饭吃完就去公园 (slight emphasis on the object “dinner” by putting it first).
They mean the same thing in everyday speech.

Can I use 把 here?

Yes, to emphasize “finish it” before going:

把晚饭吃完再去公园 (very natural for instructions).
With 就 it’s also possible, but less common in this context: 把晚饭吃完就去公园.
Use 再 when you mean “do A, then B” without the immediacy that 就 suggests.

Can I drop 我们?

Yes. Chinese often drops subjects when clear from context:

吃完晚饭就去公园。

Do I need a measure word like 顿 for meals?

Not required here. You can add it to quantify/emphasize a specific meal:

吃完一顿饭就去。
这顿晚饭吃完就去。
But 吃完晚饭 is perfectly natural without a measure word.

Is 晚饭 the same as 晚餐? What about just 饭?

晚饭 and 晚餐 both mean dinner; 晚餐 is a bit more formal/written.
饭 is general; 吃完饭 = finish eating (often understood as the current/next meal by context).
All are acceptable; choose based on specificity and tone.

Can I omit 就 entirely?

Yes: 我们吃完晚饭去公园 is natural. It just sounds more neutral; 就 adds “right after/so then” and feels tighter.

How do I say “as soon as” more explicitly?

Use the 一…就… pattern:

我们一吃完晚饭就去公园。 You can also insert 以后 for “after”: 吃完晚饭以后就去公园。

How do I make it clearly past, future, or habitual?

Past: add a time word and/or 了 on the second verb: 昨天我们吃完晚饭就去了公园。
Future plan: context is often enough; you can also say 我们吃完晚饭就去公园吧 (let’s) or 要: 我们吃完晚饭就要去公园.
Habit: add adverbs like 常常/经常/每天: 我们每天吃完晚饭就去公园。

What’s the difference between 就 and 才?

就 = earlier/sooner than expected, or simply immediate next step: 我们吃完晚饭就去公园.
才 = not until; later than expected: 我们吃完晚饭才去公园 (we won’t go until after dinner, implying delay).

Should I say 去公园, 到公园, or 去到公园?

去公园 is the default “go to the park.”
到公园 emphasizes arrival, often as 到公园去.
去到公园 is regional/colloquial in some places but not standard in formal Putonghua. Stick with 去公园 or 到公园去.

How does 吃得完/吃不完 relate to 完?

That’s the potential form of the result complement 完:

吃得完 = can finish eating.
吃不完 = can’t finish eating.
Example: 这份太大了，我吃不完。

Pronunciation tip: 完 (wán, 2nd tone) vs 晚 (wǎn, 3rd tone)

In 吃完晚饭, 完 is rising (2nd), 晚 is dipping (3rd), and 饭 is falling (4th): chī wán wǎn fàn. Don’t fuse 完 and 晚; keep the tones distinct.

Can 吃完晚饭 function like a time phrase at the start?

Yes. 吃完晚饭，我们就去公园。 It reads as “After finishing dinner, we’ll go to the park,” with 就 showing the immediate next step.