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Please, don't explain when to use 得 or 地. I already know that the grammar difference between them both, which is:

V 得 adjective (老师话说得很快。) adverb 地 V (老师快快地说话。)

Also there are many posts on this forum related to the above issue.

What has been bothering me for a long time is if there is any (tiny) difference in meaning between both sentences.

Can I use both structures interchangeably anytime?

他跑步跑得很快。 vs 他很快地跑步。

你字写得很漂亮。 vs 你漂亮地写字。

他汉语说得很流利。 vs 他流利地说汉语。

Thanks a lot!

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    All your sentences with 地 are unnatural. See my previous post
    – Yang Muye
    Commented Dec 7, 2014 at 13:07

2 Answers 2

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Actually, yes. there are some differences.

for example , the differences between 他跑步跑得很快。 vs 他很快地跑步。 are exactly differences between "He runs fast!" vs "He is running fast".

他跑步跑得很快 emphasize quickly or fast while "他很快地跑步" emphasize the verb "run". So. if no context, when you say "他跑步跑得很快", you probably are describing the man's speed, and when you say "他很快地跑步", you probably mean that he is running or he was running.

But this is not absolute.you could still say 他正在跑步,而且他跑步跑的很快. It's still correct.

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To make appear the semantic difference clearly:

他跑步跑得很快 : he runs.. very fast! Likely pointing out he is a very fast runner, an athletic sprinter.

他很快地跑步 : he is fast going by running. You are pointing out he is fast (running) after something, moving this fast is not expected, he may be late for something, etc.

The meaning is structural and contextual. The action of running is qualified (1) or the the fastness is qualified by the way it is done (2). Yet, in real life, the context of what you see in front of you, the general tone, will add the missing information you need, and both structures could be used interchangeably.

For "Can I use both structures interchangeably anytime?"... the context help you, and native speakers are NOT grammar teachers. They may themselves use both when faced a single situation.

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