Writing
非得 (fēi děi) — how to say "must" in Chinese
非得
Must, have to
modal adverb
How to use it
Goes before the verb and shows the speaker's attitude.
我非得去不可。
wǒ fēi děi qù bù kě
I absolutely must go.
Character composition
非
not, must
得
must, have to
Radicals / Keys
彳
Step
#60 · chì · 3 strokes
非
Wrong
#175 · fēi · 8 strokes
Collocations
非得今天交的作业
fēi děi jīn tiān jiāo de zuò yè
homework that must be handed in today
非得完成的任务
fēi děi wán chéng de rèn wu
a task that must be completed
Examples
这件事非得今天完成不可。
This matter must be finished today.
你非得去吗？
Do you have to go?
Try remembering 非得
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Frequently asked questions
How to say must in Mandarin?
"must" in Chinese is 非得 (fēi děi).
What does 非得 mean in English?
非得 (fēi děi) means "Must, have to".
How is 非得 pronounced?
It is pronounced fēi děi (written as fei dei, feidei). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "must" in Chinese characters?
It is written 非得: 非 has 8 strokes, 得 has 11 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 非得?
非得 is on the HSK 3.0 levels 7–9 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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