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How to say “must” in Chinese with 得 (děi)

Subj. + 得 (děi) + Verb Phrase

Expressing "must" with "得 (děi)"

HSK 4Auxiliary verbs

Rule structure

得 (děi) expresses necessity or obligation. It is stronger than 应该 (yīng gāi) (yīnggāi) and is used in spoken Chinese. Negated as 不用 (bùyòng) or 别 (bié).

Examples

我得走了。

Wǒ děi zǒu le.

I have to go.

Practice

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Frequently asked questions

How do you express “Expressing "must" with "得 (děi)"” in Chinese?

Use the structure: Subj. + 得 (děi) + Verb Phrase. For example: 我得走了。 — “I have to go.”.

What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?

我得走了。 — “I have to go.”.

Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?

This grammar rule is part of HSK 4.

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