该 meaning and stroke order
Should; ought to; probably
How to write 该, stroke by stroke
8 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
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 该
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- should
- ought to
- probably
- must be
- to deserve
- to owe
How 该 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Speech.
讠 gives the meaning and 亥 hints at the sound.
Radical: 讠 (words), shared by 144 characters on this site.
How to remember 该
该 combines the speech radical 讠 with 亥 (hài), which hints at the sound. Think of 讠 as someone speaking up to tell you what you should do.
该 (gāi) means "should" or "ought to," and it often appears in 应该 (yīnggāi). On its own it can also mean "it's someone's turn" or "probably." Example: 该走了。(Gāi zǒu le.) It's time to go.
Common mistake: Learners often read 该 as hài because of the phonetic 亥, but it is pronounced gāi with a first tone. Also avoid confusing it with 孩 (hái, child), which shares 亥 but uses the child radical 子.
Common words with 该
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
该 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 该
How many strokes are in 该?
该 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 该 mean?
该 (gāi) means should; ought to; probably. A common word with it is 应该 (yīnggāi), meaning "ought to; should; must".
How do you pronounce 该?
该 is pronounced gāi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 该?
The radical of 该 is 讠, which carries the idea of "words". Dictionaries list 该 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 该?
The traditional form of 该 is 該. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 该 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 该 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 该 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 1.
What is the difference between 该 and 应该?
Both mean "should," but 应该 (yīnggāi) is more common and a little more formal. 该 alone is short and spoken, and it often suggests timing, as in 该吃饭了 (gāi chīfàn le), "it's time to eat."
What does 活该 mean and is it rude?
活该 (huógāi) means "serves you right" or "you deserved it." It is colloquial and can sound harsh, so use it with friends or jokingly rather than with strangers.