Meaning of 必须
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- must; to have to
How to use 必须
必须 is placed before a verb to show a strong obligation or requirement. It is common in rules, instructions and everyday speech. Example: 你必须早点儿睡觉。(Nǐ bìxū zǎo diǎnr shuìjiào.) You must go to bed earlier.
必 (bì) means certainly, and 须 (xū) means need to. Put them together and you get something you certainly need to do: must.
Common mistake: Learners often say 不必须 to mean "don't have to", but the normal negative is 不必 (bùbì) or 不用 (bú yòng). Also do not confuse 必须 with 必需 (bìxū), which sounds the same but means "to need" and goes with things, as in 必需品 (bìxūpǐn) necessities.
必须 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
必 bì · certainly · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
须 xū · must · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 必须.
| 必要 | bìyào | necessary; essential |
| 不必 | bùbì | need not; does not have to |
| 必然 | bìrán | inevitable; certain |
| 未必 | wèibì | not necessarily; maybe not |
| 必需 | bìxū | to need; to require |
| 必将 | bìjiāng | inevitably |
| 必修 | bìxiū | (of an academic course) required; compulsory |
| 何必 | hébì | there is no need; why should |
| 必定 | bìdìng | to be bound to; to be sure to |
| 务必 | wùbì | must; to need to |
| 无须 | wúxū | need not; not obliged to |
| 必不可少 | bìbùkěshǎo | absolutely necessary; indispensable |
Questions about 必须
What does 必须 mean?
必须 (bìxū) means "must; to have to" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 必须?
必须 is made of 2 characters: 必 (5 strokes), 须 (9 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 必须 an HSK word?
Yes. 必须 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 必须 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 必须 is written 必須.
What is the difference between 必须 and 得 (děi)?
Both mean "must" or "have to". 得 (děi) is more casual and spoken, while 必须 sounds firmer and works in both speech and writing.
Can 必须 stand alone as an answer?
Yes, in casual speech you can answer with just 必须 to mean "Absolutely" or "Of course I must". For example, 你去吗？必须的。(Nǐ qù ma? Bìxū de.) Are you going? Definitely.