Breakdown of měicì xiàbān yǐhòu, wǒ dōu qù gōngyuán sànbù.
Questions & Answers about měicì xiàbān yǐhòu, wǒ dōu qù gōngyuán sànbù.
In Chinese, 每 (every) usually needs a measure word or a unit after it.
- 次 is a measure word for actions or events, meaning time / occurrence.
- 下班 is the action to get off work.
So:
- 每次下班以后 = after every time I get off work
- ❌ 每下班以后 – incorrect, because 每 is not directly followed by a measure/unit.
- ❌ 每下班 – same issue; 每 needs something like 次, 天, 个星期, etc.
Other correct examples:
- 每天下班以后 – every day after work
- 每个星期下班以后 – every week after work
下班 is a verb meaning to get off work / to finish one’s work shift.
In 每次下班以后:
- 下班 is the action: to get off work.
- 以后 means after.
- Together: after (I) get off work.
So structurally it’s like:
- 每次 + (I) get off work + 以后
→ Every time (I) get off work, after that...
You don’t need to add “我的工作” or “班” as a noun; 下班 itself already implies that you’ve finished working.
以后 means after / afterwards and marks that something happens after the action 下班.
- 每次下班以后 – every time after (I) get off work
If you say just 每次下班, it usually sounds incomplete, like “every time (I) get off work…” with no clear “then what/when” link.
However, in casual speech, people sometimes drop 以后 when the sequence is obvious:
- 每次下班，我都去公园散步。
This can be understood, but 每次下班以后 is clearer and more standard, especially for learners.
Compare:
- 下课以后 – after class
- 吃饭以后 – after eating
Yes, you can say:
- 每次下班之后，我都去公园散步。
In most everyday situations, 以后 and 之后 are interchangeable when used like this.
Subtle differences:
- 以后 is slightly more common and casual in spoken Chinese.
- 之后 can sound a bit more formal or written, and is sometimes more “event-based”, but in this sentence the difference is very small.
For a learner, treating them as near-synonyms here is fine:
- 下班以后 / 下班之后 – after getting off work
都 is an adverb and normally goes before the main verb it modifies.
The basic word order is:
- Subject + 都 + Verb + (Object)
In this sentence:
- Subject: 我
- Adverb: 都
- Verb: 去
- Object / complement: 公园散步
So:
- ✅ 我都去公园散步。
The other versions break normal word order:
- ❌ 我去都公园散步 – puts 都 between 去 and its object, which is not how 都 is used.
- ❌ 我去公园都散步 – this suggests 都 is modifying 散步, but the structure is still unnatural for this meaning.
A good pattern to remember:
- 每……都……
每次下班以后，我都去公园散步。
Every time after work, I (all) go to the park for a walk.
都 often translates as all / both, but it also has a common use with 每 (every) or with “whenever” type meanings.
In 每次下班以后，我都去公园散步:
- 每次 = every time
- 都 connects this idea of “every time” to the action, giving the sense of “whenever that happens, the same thing always happens.”
So the combination 每……都…… often means something like:
- “every time … (I) always …”
- “whenever … (I) …”
Example:
- 每个人都喜欢他。 – Everyone likes him.
- 每次见到你，我都很开心。 – Every time I see you, I’m happy.
So here 都 emphasizes regularity/habit, not plurality of people.
You can say it without 都:
- 每次下班以后，我去公园散步。
It’s still understandable and grammatically OK. The difference is:
- With 都: sounds more natural and emphasizes “without exception / every single time”.
- Without 都: sounds more neutral, a bit less emphatic, and slightly less idiomatic, though still acceptable.
Because 每……都…… is such a common pattern in Chinese, including 都 usually makes your sentence feel more fluent and native-like.
In this sentence, 去 already expresses going to (a place):
- 去公园 – go to the park
- 散步 – take a walk
Together: 去公园散步 – go to the park to take a walk.
We don’t say 去在公园… because:
- 去 + place is already the pattern for “go to (a place)”.
- 在 marks location for an action: 在公园散步 = take a walk in the park.
Both patterns are possible, but they’re used slightly differently:
我去公园散步。
Focus: I go to the park in order to walk.我在公园散步。
Focus: I am in the park walking (location emphasis).
In your original sentence, the idea is “I go to the park for a walk”, so 去公园散步 is natural.
- 散步 means to take a walk / to go for a stroll, usually for relaxation or exercise.
- 走路 literally means to walk (on foot) and can be neutral, just the mode of movement.
Examples:
- 我喜欢晚上去公园散步。 – I like to go to the park for a walk in the evening.
- 我走路去学校。 – I walk to school (as opposed to taking the bus, etc.).
So in 去公园散步, the idea is a pleasant, intentional walk (like “going for a walk”), not merely moving on foot.
Chinese does not mark tense (past/present/future) the same way English does. Instead, it relies on:
- Time expressions: 每次下班以后 indicates a repeated, habitual situation.
- Context.
In English, you might translate it as:
- “Every time after work, I go for a walk in the park.” (habit, present)
- Or even “I will go for a walk in the park” if you’re talking about a future routine.
But the Chinese sentence itself just states a habitual action; tense is inferred from context, not from verb changes.
In your sentence, 了 is not necessary because:
- The sentence describes a habitual action (something that happens regularly), not a one-time completed event.
- 了 is often used to mark completion or a change of state, which is not the focus here.
Compare:
- 下班以后，我去公园散步。 – (habitually) After work, I go to the park for a walk.
- 下班了以后，我就去公园散步了。 – (especially in a story) After I got off work, I then went to the park for a walk. (one specific occasion, with a “then it happened” feeling)
So for the “every time / every day after work” idea, it’s normal not to use 了.
In casual conversation, native speakers might sometimes drop 我 if it’s extremely clear from context who is being talked about.
However:
- 每次下班以后，都去公园散步。 without 我 sounds a bit incomplete or ambiguous in isolation.
- It could mean “After work every time, (we/they/you) all go to the park for a walk.”
For clear, standard sentences—especially in writing or when learning—keep 我:
- ✅ 每次下班以后，我都去公园散步。
Yes, you can say:
- 每次下班以后，我都在公园散步。
Difference in nuance:
- 去公园散步 – emphasizes going to the park (movement + purpose).
- “I (go to the park and) take a walk there.”
- 在公园散步 – emphasizes being in the park while walking (location).
- “I walk in the park.”
Both are natural. The original sentence highlights going somewhere after work; the alternative highlights where the walking happens.
每 by itself is just every; it needs a noun or measure word afterward to say every what.
- 次 is a measure word meaning time / occurrence.
So:
- 每次 = every time / each time
- 每个人 = every person
- 每天 = every day
- 每个星期 = every week
In 每次下班以后:
- 每次 specifies “each time (I get off work)”.
Without 次, you would not have a complete “unit” for 每 to modify.