Learn Hardcore Chinese: Wǒmen bìxū bǎ jīntiān de liànxí zuò de hěn qīngchu, míngtiān fùxí de shíhou cái gèng jiǎndān. - We must do today’s exercises so that they’re very clear; only then will it be easier when we review tomorrow.

的 in 今天的练习
- Links a modifier to a noun.
- 今天的练习 = “today’s exercises” / “the exercises of today”.
- Pattern: [modifier] + 的 + [noun]
  e.g. 我的书, 漂亮的衣服
得 in 做得很清楚
- Links a verb to a complement describing how well / to what degree the action is done.
- Pattern: [verb] + 得 + [complement]
  e.g. 说得很好, 写得很漂亮

There is also a third de, 地, which marks adverbs:

清楚地做练习 = “do the exercises clearly”

So in this sentence:

的 = structural particle linking 今天 to 练习
得 = complement marker linking 做 to 很清楚

How does the pattern 做得很清楚 work? What does it literally mean?

做得很清楚 is Verb + 得 + Adjective (degree complement):

做 – to do
得 – introduces the complement
很清楚 – how well / to what degree you do it

So 做得很清楚 literally means:

“do (it) to the point that it is very clear”

Functionally: “do (the exercises) very clearly / so that they’re clear and well understood.”

This pattern is extremely common:

说得很快 – speak very fast
写得很漂亮 – write very beautifully
听得懂 – be able to understand (by listening)
做得很好 – do (it) very well

It describes the result or quality of the action.

Why is 很 used before 清楚? Are we really saying “very clear”?

很 does two things in modern Mandarin:

It can mean “very” (a real degree word).
It can also act as a kind of neutral linker before adjectives, making the sentence sound natural even if you don’t want to emphasize “very”.

In 做得很清楚:

You can understand it as “do (it) very clearly / very thoroughly”.
But often it’s not strongly emphasized; it helps the adjective 清楚 fit smoothly into the Verb + 得 + Adj pattern.

Compare:

做得清楚 – grammatical, but can sound a bit bare or stiff.
做得很清楚 – more natural, everyday speech.

So yes, it can mean “very clear”, but here it may just sound like “(nice and) clear” rather than strongly emphasizing the “very”.

What exactly does 清楚 mean here? Why say 做得很清楚 instead of something like 做得很好 or 做得对?

These adjectives focus on different aspects:

清楚 – “clear, not confusing, well understood”
- 做得很清楚: do the exercises so that everything is clear in your mind and not messy or vague.
好 – “good, well”
- 做得很好: you did a good job (overall quality), but not specifically about clarity.
对 – “correct”
- 做得对: your answers are correct, but you might still not understand them deeply.

In this context, the point is:

If we do today’s exercises in a clear, thorough way (not just correct answers, but really understanding), then reviewing tomorrow will be easier.

So 清楚 focuses on clarity and thorough understanding, which fits the logic of the sentence.

What’s the role of 必须? How is it different from 要, 得, or 应该?

必须 (bìxū) = must, absolutely have to. It expresses a strong, non‑optional necessity.

我们必须把今天的练习做得很清楚。
We must do today’s exercises clearly (no choice, this is required).

Compared:

要 / 得: also often “have to / must”, but can feel a bit more about practical necessity from circumstances.
- 我们得/要把今天的练习做完。
  We (have to) finish today’s exercises.
应该: “should / ought to”, weaker, more of a suggestion.
- 我们应该把今天的练习做得很清楚。
  We should do today’s exercises clearly (it’s a good idea).

So in this sentence, 必须 makes it clear that this is a strict requirement, not just a recommendation.

Can we move 必须, 今天, and 把 around? What word orders are natural and which are wrong?

Natural options include:

我们必须把今天的练习做得很清楚。
(original; subject + 必须 + 把‑phrase + verb)
我们今天必须把练习做得很清楚。
(time word after subject, before 必须)
今天我们必须把练习做得很清楚。
(time word at sentence start)

All of these sound natural.

Unnatural / wrong:

✗ 我们把今天的练习必须做得很清楚。
必须 should come before the main verb phrase, not jammed inside the 把 structure like this.

Key points:

必须: normally goes right after the subject and before the verb (or before the 把 structure if there is one).
今天 (time) can go:
- At the beginning: 今天我们…
- After the subject: 我们今天…
把 + object must stay together: 把 + 今天的练习 + 做得很清楚.

In 明天复习的时候, what does 的 do? Is this “the time of reviewing” or “when we review”?

复习的时候 is literally:

复习的时候 = “the time of reviewing”

So 的时候 is a noun phrase meaning “the time when (something happens)”.

Functionally in a sentence, it works like “when …” in English:

明天复习的时候
= “when (we) review tomorrow” / “at the time of tomorrow’s review”

About 的:

It links 复习 (a verb) to 时候 (a noun).
Pattern: [verb / clause] + 的 + 时候
e.g. 我来的时候, 下雨的时候

Variations:

复习时 – a shorter, more formal or written style (without 的).
✗ 复习时候 – generally not natural in modern Mandarin; people almost always say 复习的时候 or 复习时.

Why is there no subject in 明天复习的时候才更简单? Who is it easier for?

Chinese often drops the subject when it’s obvious from context.

The full “expanded” version could be:

我们必须把今天的练习做得很清楚，
明天我们复习的时候，(就)才会觉得更简单。

But because 我们 is already mentioned at the start, and there’s no reason to change the subject, it’s natural to omit it in the second clause:

明天复习的时候才更简单。

So the understood meaning is:

When we review tomorrow, (it) will be easier (for us).

Subject dropping like this is extremely common in Chinese, especially when two clauses share the same subject.

What does 才 express here, and why is it placed before 更简单?

Here 才 means “only then / only if” and shows a conditional relationship:

First clause (condition): 我们必须把今天的练习做得很清楚
Second clause (result): 明天复习的时候才更简单

Sense:

Only if we do today’s exercises very clearly, then it will be easier when we review tomorrow.

Placement:

才 goes directly before the predicate (verb or adjective) of the result clause:
- … 才更简单
- … 才知道
- … 才会明白

You wouldn’t put it at the very end. So:

✓ 明天复习的时候才更简单。
✗ 明天复习的时候更简单才。

Could we say 才会更简单 instead of 才更简单? Why is 会 optional?

Yes, both are possible:

明天复习的时候才更简单。
明天复习的时候才会更简单。

会 here indicates future likelihood / tendency (“will be”):

才更简单 already implies a future time because of 明天 (“tomorrow”), so the future meaning is clear from context.
Adding 会 makes the futurity and possibility a bit more explicit:
- 才更简单 – “(then) it is easier (at that time).”
- 才会更简单 – “(then) it will be easier.”

In everyday speech, omitting 会 is very common when you already have a clear future time word like 明天.

Why use 更简单 instead of just 简单, 比较简单, or 很简单?

更 (gèng) means “even more / more (than before or than something else)”. It signals a comparison.

Here the implied comparison is:

If we don’t do today’s exercises clearly → tomorrow’s review is less easy.
If we do them clearly → tomorrow’s review is more easy (更简单).

Nuance of each option:

更简单 – “easier (than it otherwise would be / than now)”
- Fits the idea “do X first, then it will be easier later.”
简单 – “easy”
- 才简单 = “only then will it be easy (at all).”
  This sounds like it’s otherwise not easy, but it doesn’t highlight “easier than some other case” as clearly as 更 does.
比较简单 – “relatively simple”
- More neutral comparison, often “quite simple / relatively easy”, not as directly tied to a specific condition.
很简单 – “very easy”
- Emphasizes degree, but not comparison.

So 更简单 is chosen to express:
only if we do today’s exercises clearly, tomorrow’s review will be easier (than if we don’t).