必 meaning and stroke order
Certainly; must; will
How to write 必, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 必
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- certainly
- must
- will
- necessarily
How 必 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 心 (heart), shared by 97 characters on this site.
How to remember 必
必 (bì) looks like the heart 心 (xīn) with a slanted stroke 丿 cutting right through it. Picture an arrow striking the heart: once it hits, the result is certain, so 必 means "surely" or "must".
必 is mostly used inside words like 必须 (bìxū, must) and 不必 (bùbì, need not), and appears on its own mainly in formal or written phrases. Example: 你必须早点来。(Nǐ bìxū zǎo diǎn lái.) You must come a bit early.
Common mistake: Learners often write 必 as 心 with an extra stroke added on top. In fact the slanted stroke 丿 crosses through the middle of the heart shape, and the dots are placed around it. Another trap is mixing up 必须 (bìxū, must) and 必需 (bìxū, to need). They sound the same, but 必须 goes before a verb, while 必需 describes things you require, as in 必需品 (bìxūpǐn, necessities).
Common words with 必
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 必须 | bìxū | must; to have to | HSK 2 |
| 必要 | bìyào | necessary; essential | HSK 3 |
| 不必 | bùbì | need not; does not have to | HSK 3 |
| 必然 | bìrán | inevitable; certain | HSK 3 |
| 未必 | wèibì | not necessarily; maybe not | HSK 4 |
| 必需 | bìxū | to need; to require | HSK 5 |
| 必将 | bìjiāng | inevitably | HSK 6 |
| 必修 | bìxiū | (of an academic course) required; compulsory | HSK 6 |
| 何必 | hébì | there is no need; why should | HSK 7-9 |
| 必定 | bìdìng | to be bound to; to be sure to | HSK 7-9 |
| 务必 | wùbì | must; to need to | HSK 7-9 |
| 必不可少 | bìbùkěshǎo | absolutely necessary; indispensable | HSK 7-9 |
| 势必 | shìbì | to be bound to; undoubtedly will | HSK 7-9 |
| 想必 | xiǎngbì | presumably; probably |
必 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 必
Learning 必 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 必
How many strokes are in 必?
必 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 必 mean?
必 (bì) means certainly; must; will. A common word with it is 必须 (bìxū), meaning "must; to have to".
How do you pronounce 必?
必 is pronounced bì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 必?
The radical of 必 is 心, which carries the idea of "heart". Dictionaries list 必 under this radical.
Is 必 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 必 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 不必 and 不用?
Both mean "there is no need to". 不用 (bùyòng) is more common in casual speech, and 不必 (bùbì) sounds a little more formal or written. For example, 你不必担心 (nǐ bùbì dānxīn) means "you don't need to worry".
Does 未必 mean "definitely not"?
No. 未必 (wèibì) means "not necessarily" or "maybe not", so it leaves room for doubt. 他未必知道 (tā wèibì zhīdào) means "he doesn't necessarily know", not "he definitely doesn't know".