Meaning of 该
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- should
- ought to
- probably
- must be
- to deserve
- to owe
- to be sb's turn to do sth
- that
How to use 该
In everyday speech 该 often means "it's someone's turn" or "it's time to do something," and it also works alone as "should." Example: 该你了。(Gāi nǐ le.) It's your turn. In formal writing 该 can also mean "that" or "the said," as in 该公司 (gāi gōngsī) "the company in question."
该 (gāi) has the speech radical 讠 on the left and 亥 (hài) on the right. Picture someone speaking up to say what should happen next: "It's time, you should go."
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 该 with 孩 (hái, child), because both use 亥 on the right. Remember that 该 has the speech radical 讠 and 孩 has the child radical 子.
该 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.
该 gāi · should · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 该.
Questions about 该
What does 该 mean?
该 (gāi) means "should; ought to" and is used as a verb and pronoun.
How do you write 该?
该 is made of 1 character: 该 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 该 an HSK word?
Yes. 该 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 该 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 该 is written 該.
What is the difference between 该 and 应该?
Both mean "should," and 应该 (yīnggāi) is the more neutral, complete form. 该 alone sounds more casual and is common in phrases like 该走了 (gāi zǒu le, it's time to go).
How do I say "should not" with 该?
Put 不 in front: 不该 (bùgāi). For example, 你不该说这个。(Nǐ bù gāi shuō zhège.) You shouldn't have said that.