Writing
必 (bì) — how to say "must" in Chinese
必
Must
adverb
Character composition
必
must
Radicals / Keys
心
Heart
#61 · xīn · 4 strokes
Synonyms
Collocations
必看的电影
bì kàn de diàn yǐng
a must-see film
Examples
如果不认真复习，考试时必会遇到困难。
If you do not review thoroughly, you will certainly encounter difficulties during the exam.
失败必有原因。
Failure always has a cause.
Try remembering 必
Three short exercises on meaning and pronunciation. Free, no sign-up needed.
Frequently asked questions
Must meaning in Chinese
"must" in Chinese is 必 (bì).
必 meaning
必 (bì) means "Must".
How is 必 pronounced?
It is pronounced bì (written as bi). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "must" in Chinese characters?
It is written 必 and has 5 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 必?
必 is on the HSK 3.0 level 5 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
Tomyo
Learn Chinese words with spaced repetition
Add 必 to your vocabulary and remember it with smart reviews, audio and examples.
Grammar with 必
何必 — why bother
何必 (hébì) + Verb Phrase (rhetorical, unnecessary)
必须 — must, have to
Subj. + 必须 (bìxū) + Verb
未必 — not necessarily
Subject + 未必 (wèibì) + Verb/Adj.
不妨 vs 务必 — advice vs requirement
不妨 (bùfáng) + Verb Phrase (soft suggestion) / 务必 (wùbì) + Verb Phrase (insistent requirement)
必定 — certain to happen
Subj. + 必定 (bìdìng) / 必将 (bìjiāng) / 势必 (shìbì) + Verb
乃 — is, precisely
Subject + 乃 (nǎi) + Noun phrase (+ 也 (yě))