Learn Hardcore Chinese: Jìrán nǐ xiǎng tígāo zhōngwén shuǐpíng, jiù bǎ wǎngshàng kèchéng shàngwán. - Since you want to improve your Chinese level, then finish taking the online courses.

既然…就… often carries a nuance like: “Given this is true, it’s only natural / you might as well do X.” It’s especially common when making a suggestion, advice, or mild reproach:

既然你来了，就坐一下吧。 – Since you’re here, have a seat.
既然你不想去，就早点说。 – Since you didn’t want to go, you should’ve said earlier.

Does 既然 always need 就 after it? Can I just say 既然你想提高中文水平，把网上课程上完?

既然 does not strictly require 就, but 既然…就… is the most common, natural pattern, especially in spoken language.

既然你想提高中文水平，就把网上课程上完。 – very natural
既然你想提高中文水平，把网上课程上完。 – understandable, but feels a bit abrupt or incomplete to many native speakers.

You might sometimes see 既然 without 就, especially in written or more dramatic language, but for learners, using 既然…就… is the safest and most idiomatic choice.

Why is 把 used here? What does 就把网上课程上完 mean structurally?

This is the 把-construction:

Pattern: [Subject] + 把 + [Object] + [Verb + complement]
Here: (你) 就把网上课程上完

把 is used when you:

Focus on what happens to the object (网上课程), and
Often have a result / change / completion expressed by a complement (here, 完 “finish”).

So 就把网上课程上完 literally means:
“Then take the online course and bring it to the state of being finished.”

Without 把, you could say:

就上完网上课程。 – “then finish the online course.”

This is grammatical and understandable, but 把网上课程上完 emphasizes the course as the thing you’re dealing with and finishing, which is very natural in Chinese for “finish X completely.”

Can I omit 把 and just say 既然你想提高中文水平，就上完网上课程? Is there any difference?

You can omit 把:

既然你想提高中文水平，就上完网上课程。 – grammatical, understandable
既然你想提高中文水平，就把网上课程上完。 – more idiomatic / natural.

Differences:

Focus:
- With 把: the structure highlights 网上课程 as the thing you’re dealing with and completing.
- Without 把: it’s slightly more neutral; focus feels more on the action “finish taking (the course)”.
Frequency / naturalness:
- In “finish X” patterns, 把 + object + Verb + 完 is extremely common.

So for everyday speech, 就把网上课程上完 sounds especially natural.

What exactly does 上完 mean here? How is it different from just 上, or from 上完了?

上 (shàng) by itself here means “to take (a course/class)”, as in:
- 上课 – attend class
- 上中文课 – take Chinese class
- 上网课 – take online classes
完 (wán) is a result complement meaning “finish / complete”.

So:

上完 = “take (it) to the point of being finished” → finish taking (the course).

About 上完 vs 上完了:

上完 – just states the result/completion as part of a larger sentence:
- 把网上课程上完。 – finish the online course.
上完了 – adds 了, marking completion / change of state:
- 我上完了网上课程。 – I’ve finished the online course (it is now done).

In your sentence, it’s an instruction/suggestion, so 上完 (without 了) is standard: 就把网上课程上完。

Why does 上 mean “take (a course)” here? I thought 上 meant “up” or “on”.

上 has many meanings beyond “up / on”. In education and daily life, it commonly means “to attend / go to / participate in (a class, school, work, etc.)”:

上课 – attend class
上学 – go to school
上班 – go to work / be at work
上大学 – attend university
上中文课 – take Chinese class
上网课 – take online course(s)

So 上网上课程 / 上网课 = “take online courses.”

Here, 把网上课程上完 = “finish taking the online course.”

Why is there no 你 in the second part? Why isn’t it 就你把网上课程上完 or 你就把网上课程上完?

Chinese often omits repeated subjects when the subject is already clear from context.

First clause: 既然你想提高中文水平 – the subject 你 is clear.
Second clause: (你) 就把网上课程上完。 – 你 is understood and doesn’t need to be repeated.

Could you say:

你就把网上课程上完。 – Yes, this is also natural, and sometimes used for emphasis on “you”.
就你把网上课程上完。 – This sounds different: it tends to mean “only you finish the online course” or gives focus to “you (and not others)”, which is not what the original sentence is doing.

So the original form with the subject omitted is natural and typical Chinese usage.

What is 水平 (shuǐpíng) exactly? Why do we say 提高中文水平 instead of something like 提高中文?

水平 literally means “level (of ability/skill/quality)”.

Common uses:

中文水平 – Chinese level / proficiency
英语水平 – English level
数学水平 – math ability level
技术水平 – technical level
水平很高 / 很低 – very high / low level

提高中文水平 = “improve your level of Chinese proficiency”. This sounds very natural and idiomatic.

Saying 提高中文 alone is not wrong in all contexts, but:

提高中文水平 or 提高中文能力 is more precise and standard.
Without 水平 or 能力, 提高中文 might sound a bit vague or unnatural in many situations.

What’s the difference between 中文 and 汉语 here? Could I say 提高汉语水平?

Both 中文 and 汉语 can refer to the Chinese language, but there are some tendencies:

汉语: focuses more on the spoken language as a linguistic system; common in more formal/academic contexts:
- 汉语语法、汉语水平考试（HSK）.
中文: broader; can mean “Chinese (language) in general”, including spoken and written, and is very common in everyday speech, especially among learners:
- 学中文、中文水平、中文书.

In your sentence, both are acceptable:

提高中文水平 – very natural, common.
提高汉语水平 – also correct, slightly more formal/“linguistic.”

For everyday learner speech, 中文水平 is perfectly fine and very common.

What’s the nuance of 提高 (tígāo) here, and how is it different from 进步、增加、改善?

提高 means “to raise / to improve (a level, standard, ability, etc.)”.

提高中文水平 – raise/improve your Chinese level
提高效率 – improve efficiency
提高成绩 – improve grades

Related verbs:

进步 (jìnbù) – to make progress:
- 中文进步得很快。 – Your Chinese is improving quickly.
- 提高 often takes an object (提高中文水平); 进步 is more like “to progress.”
增加 (zēngjiā) – to increase (in quantity/amount):
- 增加词汇量 – increase vocabulary size
- Less about quality/skill level, more about number/amount.
改善 (gǎishàn) – to improve (a situation, condition):
- 改善生活条件 – improve living conditions
- More about environment/conditions than a personal skill level.

For language ability, 提高…水平 is the most idiomatic phrase: 提高中文水平, 提高英语水平.

Why is it 网上课程 and not 在网上的课程 or 网络课程? Are they all acceptable?

All three are understandable, but there are differences in style/feel:

网上课程
- Very common, sounds natural and concise.
- Literally: “on-the-internet course(s).”
- Neutral, suitable for speech and writing.
在网上的课程
- Literally: “courses that are on the internet.”
- Grammatically fine but wordier; feels more descriptive or explanatory.
- In everyday speech, people usually prefer the shorter 网上课程 or 网课.
网络课程
- Slightly more formal/technical; often used in written or institutional contexts:
  - University websites, official documents, etc.

In casual, everyday advice like this sentence, 网上课程 (or 网课) is very natural.

Could we say 就把网课上完 instead of 就把网上课程上完? Would that be more natural?

Yes:

网课 (wǎngkè) is a very common spoken abbreviation of 网络课程 / 网上课程.
就把网课上完。 sounds shorter and more colloquial, and is very natural in conversation.

So:

More neutral / slightly formal: 把网上课程上完
More colloquial / everyday: 把网课上完

Both are correct; choice depends on how casual you want to sound.

Is this sentence giving an order? How could I make it softer or more polite?

The original 就把网上课程上完 is an instruction / suggestion. Tone depends on context and voice:

As-is, it can feel like strong advice: “then (you should) finish the online course.”

To soften or make it more polite, you can add:

吧 to make it sound like a suggestion:
- 既然你想提高中文水平，就把网上课程上完吧。 – Since you want to improve your Chinese, (then) just finish the online course, okay?
请 to add politeness (often a bit more formal):
- 既然你想提高中文水平，请把网上课程上完。
Combine both:
- 既然你想提高中文水平，请把网上课程上完吧。

Adding 吧 is the most common way to soften the tone in everyday speech.