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不必 (bù bì) — need not, does not have to; not necessarily

Definition

不必 is a more formal way to say 'don't have to' than 不用, used in writing or polite speech. It negates necessity itself ('there's no need'), while 未必 means 'not necessarily / maybe not'.

adverb
need notdoes not have tonot necessarily

Examples

  • 不必，。
    Nǐ bù bì zháo jí, shí jiān hái zǎo.
    You don't have to worry, it's still early.
  • 不必。
    Wǒ men bù bì měi tiān dōu qù shàng kè.
    We don't have to go to class every day.
  • 不必。
    Chū qù chī fàn bù bì dài hěn duō qián.
    When eating out, you don't have to bring a lot of money.

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.

不bùnot
必bìnecessarily

不 means not and 必 means necessarily; together they say something is not necessary.

Characters in this word

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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 →

Grammar

Appears in
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