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势必 (shì bì) — bound to; inevitably; surely

Definition

势必 (shìbì) is a written, formal adverb meaning 'is bound to / inevitably will' — stronger and more literary than 必定 or 必将. Pairs with 会 or a verb to state an outcome that cannot be avoided.

adverb
bound toinevitablysurely

Examples

  • ，势必。
    Zhè ge wèn tí bù jiě jué, máo dùn shì bì huì jiā jù.
    If this problem is not solved, the contradiction is bound to intensify.
  • 势必。
    Jīng jì xià huá shì bì dǎo zhì shī yè lǜ shàng shēng.
    An economic downturn is bound to lead to a rise in unemployment.
  • 势必。
    Cháng qī bù chī zǎo cān shì bì yǐng xiǎng jiàn kāng.
    Skipping breakfast for a long time will inevitably affect your health.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

势shìsituation
必bìcertainly

势 (situation) and 必 (certainly) combine to mean bound to happen.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 勢; 势 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìpower
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì勢shì
Same sound today

The traditional form 勢 combines 力, meaning power, with 埶 for the sound. The simplified 势 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 势 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 必 comes from the handle on the right side of a weapon, with two extra strokes added to its sides.

Open 必 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Cause, Effect & Logic

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