Writing
该 (gāi) — how to say "should" in Chinese
该
Should; this
modal verb · pronoun
1. should, ought to; to deserveHSK 3.0 · level 3
modal verb
2. this, the aforementionedHSK 3.0 · level 6
pronoun
How to use it
Goes before another verb.
你该睡觉了。
nǐ gāi shuì jiào le
You should go to sleep.
Radicals / Keys
言
Speech
#149 · yán · 7 strokes
Synonyms
Collocations
该做的事
gāi zuò de shì
what should be done
Examples
该做的事情一定要做好。
What should be done must be done well.
我该走了。
I should go.
Mnemonic
[gāi-] Guy, a scruffy dog, holds a note with a rule in his mouth 📜. His owner says, «Guy, you should learn this rule.» Guy understands: 该 means should.
Try remembering 该
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Frequently asked questions
Should in Chinese meaning
"should" in Chinese is 该 (gāi).
该 meaning in English
该 (gāi) means "Should; this".
How is 该 pronounced?
It is pronounced gāi (written as gai). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "should" in Chinese characters?
It is written 该 and has 8 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 该?
该 is on the HSK 3.0 level 3 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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