Definition
得 (děi) is a colloquial, spoken way to say 'must / have to' — it expresses necessity forced by circumstances or logic. It's more everyday than the formal 必须 (bìxū) and stronger than 应该 (yīnggāi 'should'). Unlike 要 (yào), which can also mean 'want', 得 only conveys obligation. Negate it with 不用 or 不必, never 不得.
verb
musthave toneed to
Easily confused
- 得délook-alike(particle) used between a verb and a complement to indicate possibility or degree
- 得délook-aliketo obtain, to get
Examples
- 得。Wǒ jīntiān děi wánchéng gōngzuò.I have to finish my work today.
- 得。Rúguǒ děi nǔlì cái néng chénggōng.You have to work hard if you want to succeed.
- ,得。Kǎoshì kuài dào le, nǐ děi jiāyóu.The exam is coming up — you have to work hard.
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