必 bì must
must; be sure to
How to remember 必: 心 heart + ㇒ falling stroke = must. The boy's heart pounds, the water slide drops like one steep falling stroke, but his friends are waiting below, so down he must go.
Component breakdown
必 = 心 heart + ㇒ falling stroke
- 心 heart
- ㇒ falling stroke
The boy's heart pounds, the water slide drops like one steep falling stroke, but his friends are waiting below, so down he must go.
How it came to be
A shaft with a band drawn tight across it, a handle bound to its head so it cannot come loose. Fastened beyond doubt is where 'certainly' and 'must' come from.
How it is used
- "Must / be sure to" - bound morpheme: 必须 (bìxū) must, 必要 (bìyào) necessary, 必然 (bìrán) inevitable.
- Negations flip the meaning: 不必 (búbì) = need not, 未必 (wèibì) = not necessarily, 何必 (hébì) = why bother / there's no need.
- 必需 (bìxū) = indispensable; note it shares sound with 必须 but 必须 is the modal 'must' and 必需 describes essentials.
Characters built with 必
Words with 必
- 必须bìxūmustHSK 3
- 不必búbìneed notHSK 4
- 必然bìráninevitableHSK 5
- 必要bìyàonecessaryHSK 5
- 必需bìxūto needHSK 5
- 必修bìxiūrequiredHSK 6
- 未必wèibìnot necessarilyHSK 6
- 何必hébìthere is no needHSK 7
- 务必wùbìmustHSK 7
- 必不可少bìbùkěshǎoabsolutely necessaryHSK 7
- 必定bìdìngto be bound toHSK 7
- 必将bìjiānginevitablyHSK 7
- 势必shìbìto be bound toHSK 8
Example sentences
- 我们具有必胜的信心。 Wǒmen jùyǒu bìshèng de xìnxīn.We're confident of victory.
- 我们必须遵守法律。 Wǒmen bìxū zūnshǒu fǎlǜ.We must obey the law.