Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ xiǎng xiān zài guónèi gōngzuò, zài chūguó liúxué. - I want to first work in my own country, then go abroad to study.

To want / would like to do something
- This is the meaning in the sentence:
  我想先在国内工作，再出国留学。
  → I would like to first work in my home country, then go abroad to study.
To think / to consider
- 我想，他不会来了。 → I think he won’t come.

How to tell which meaning it has?

If 想 is followed by a verb phrase (like 工作, 出国留学, 吃饭, 去旅行), it usually means want to / would like to.
If 想 is followed by a clause (often with ， after it) or by 一想, 想一想, it usually means think.

Here, 想 + 先在国内工作，再出国留学 clearly shows 想 = to want / would like to (do these actions).

How is future time expressed in this sentence if there is no word like will?

Mandarin usually does not use a separate word for will. Future time is shown by:

Context
- Talking about plans, intentions, or the future situation makes the sentence future by default.
Verbs like 想 / 要 / 打算
- 我想先在国内工作，再出国留学。
  → 想 shows intention: I would like / I plan to...
- 我要先在国内工作，再出国留学。
  → 要 is stronger: I’m going to / I intend to...
- 我打算先在国内工作，再出国留学。
  → 打算: I plan to...

So in your sentence, the presence of 想 plus the types of actions (work, study abroad) make it clear we are talking about the future, even without a word like will.

There are two zài in the sentence: 先在国内工作，再出国留学. What’s the difference between 在 and 再?

They are different characters and meanings, but the same pronunciation (zài, fourth tone).

在 (zài) – a preposition/verb meaning at / in / on / to be located in
- 在国内 → in the home country / domestically
- Here it marks location: 先在国内工作 → first work *in the home country*.
再 (zài) – an adverb meaning then / again / further (in the future)
- 再出国留学 → then go abroad to study
- In 先…再…, 再 marks the second step in a sequence.

So:

在国内 = at/in the home country
再出国 = then go abroad

What does the pattern 先…再… mean? Can I replace it with 然后?

先…再… is a very common pattern meaning first … then … and emphasizes an order of actions:

我想先在国内工作，再出国留学。
→ I’d like to *first work in my home country, then go abroad to study.*

You can often use:

先…然后…
- 我想先在国内工作，然后出国留学。

Differences in feel:

先…再… is shorter, neater, slightly more formal/plain, very common in writing and in careful speech.
先…然后… sounds slightly more spoken / narrative, like telling a story of steps.

In this sentence, both are natural. 先…再… is a very standard choice.

Why is it 先在国内工作 and not 先工作在国内? What’s the word order rule here?

Basic Chinese word order is:

Subject + (Time) + (Place) + Verb + (Object)

So:

我 (subject)
先 (time/sequence: first)
在国内 (place: in the home country)
工作 (verb: work)

→ 我 + 先 + 在国内 + 工作

Putting 在国内 after 工作 (like 工作在国内) is either wrong or very unnatural in most cases for this type of sentence.

General rule:

Time/sequence words (先, 以后, 明天) and place phrases (在学校, 在家) usually come before the verb.

Why is there no object after 工作? In English we say get a job or do a job.

In Chinese, 工作 (gōngzuò) can be:

A verb: to work
- 我在国内工作。 → I work in my country.
- No object is needed, just like English I work.
A noun: a job / work
- 找到工作 → find a job
- 换工作 → change jobs

In your sentence, 工作 is used as a verb:

先在国内工作 = first work in my home country
No object is necessary; we don’t need to say 工作一份工作 or anything like that.

What’s the difference between 国内 (guónèi) and 中国 (Zhōngguó)? Why use 国内 here?

中国 = China (the country’s name).
国内 = inside the country / domestic(ally).

Key points:

国内 is usually used relative to going abroad. It means within one’s own country, not necessarily naming which country.
In a Chinese context, 国内 usually implies within China (as opposed to 国外 = abroad).

In this sentence:

先在国内工作，再出国留学。
→ You’re contrasting domestic work with overseas study.

If you said:

我想先在中国工作，再出国留学。
It’s also correct, but slightly different in nuance: it explicitly says China, not just my own country.

What’s the difference between 出国 and 去国外 / 去外国?

出国 (chūguó) literally = leave the country, commonly means go abroad.
Very common, concise, and natural.
去国外 (qù guówài) = go to foreign countries / go abroad
- Less concise; can be OK, but 出国 is more idiomatic in this context.
去外国 (qù wàiguó) = go to (a) foreign country
- Grammatically fine, but in this sentence 出国 is simpler and more common.

So 出国留学 is the standard natural phrase for go abroad to study / study abroad.

What exactly does 留学 (liúxué) mean? How is it different from just 学习?

学习 (xuéxí) = to study / to learn (general).
- Can be anywhere, your own country or abroad.
留学 (liúxué) = to study abroad, specifically live in another country to study.

So:

出国留学 = go abroad to study (as an international student).
出国学习 could literally mean go abroad and study, but 留学 strongly carries the meaning of being a foreign student in another country for some time (formal studies).

Why is it 出国留学 and not 出国去留学 or 到国外去留学? Are those wrong?

They’re not wrong, but 出国留学 is more concise and very standard.

Possible variants:

出国留学
- Most natural, fixed phrase: go abroad to study.
出国去留学
- Literally: go out of the country to go study.
- Grammatically OK, but 去 feels a bit redundant.
到国外去留学
- Emphasizes to foreign countries, sounds a bit more descriptive.
- Also correct, but longer; you’d use it if you wanted to stress the location more.

In everyday use, 出国留学 is the default phrase.

Why is 我 (I) only written once at the beginning? Why not 我想先在国内工作，再我出国留学?

Chinese often omits repeated subjects when it’s clear from context.

我想先在国内工作，再出国留学。
→ The subject 我 is understood for both actions:
- I want to first work domestically,
- (I want to) then go abroad to study.

If you say:

我想先在国内工作，再我出国留学。
This is grammatically possible but sounds awkward and unnatural in this simple sentence, because the subject is obviously the same.

General rule:

If the subject of the next clause is the same and it’s obvious, you usually omit it.

Can I replace 再 with 然后: 先在国内工作，然后出国留学? Any difference?

Yes, you can:

我想先在国内工作，然后出国留学。

This is correct and natural.

Nuance:

再: short, compact, slightly more neutral/formal in this pattern 先…再….
然后: feels a bit more story-like / conversational, like you’re narrating steps.

Both are used in real life. In written or succinct style, 先…再… is extremely common.

Could I use 要 or 打算 instead of 想? How would the meaning change?

You can, and the nuance changes slightly:

想 – would like to / feel like / intend to
- Softer, more about desire or intention.
- 我想先在国内工作，再出国留学。
  → I’d like to first work domestically, then study abroad.
要 – going to / intend to / want to (more definite)
- Often stronger, like a more decided plan.
- 我要先在国内工作，再出国留学。
  → I’m going to first work domestically, then study abroad.
打算 – plan to
- Explicitly about a plan you have.
- 我打算先在国内工作，再出国留学。
  → I plan to first work domestically, then study abroad.

All three are correct; choice depends on how firm you want your plan/desire to sound.

Why is there no 了 or 过 in this sentence? Don’t I need them for tense or completion?

You don’t need 了 or 过 here because:

The sentence is about future plans, not completed actions.
了 often marks completion / change of state, e.g.
- 我工作了三年。 → I worked for three years.
过 often marks past experience, e.g.
- 我出过国。 → I have been abroad before.

In 我想先在国内工作，再出国留学, you are not describing:

something completed (了), or
previous experience (过), but
a plan/intention.

So no aspect particle is needed. The meaning is already clear from 想 and context.

Is 在 here related to the progressive aspect (like 在 + verb for “be doing”)?

No. 在 in this sentence is a preposition of location, not an aspect marker.

Two common uses of 在:

Location (your sentence)
- 在国内工作 → work *in the country*
- Here it’s like English in/at.
Progressive aspect: 在 + Verb → be doing (something)
- 我在工作。 → I am working. (now)
- Here 在 comes directly before a verb, without a place phrase.

In 在国内工作, we have:

在国内 = at/in the country (location phrase)
工作 = work (verb)

So it’s location, not progressive aspect.