ENESFRDE中文

Characters, words, pinyin or English

该 gāi ought

ought; one's turn; the above-mentioned

How to remember 该: 讠 words + 亥 pig = ought. The kids trade angry words about who feeds the pig tonight, and Mum says the one who forgot yesterday ought to.

  • 319. most frequent character
  • HSK 3
  • 8 strokes
  • Radical 言

Component breakdown

该 = 讠 words + 亥 pig

  • 讠 words
  • 亥 pig
The Gushi story

The kids trade angry words about who feeds the pig tonight, and Mum says the one who forgot yesterday ought to.

How it is used

  • "Should / ought to" - 该走了 (gāi zǒu le) time to go, 你该休息了 (nǐ gāi xiūxi le) you should rest; fuller form 应该 (yīnggāi).
  • Also "it's one's turn" - 该你了 (gāi nǐ le) your turn / you're up.
  • In formal/written text 该 means "the aforementioned / said" - 该公司 (gāi gōngsī) the said company, 该地区 (gāi dìqū) that region.
  • 活该 (huógāi) = serves you right, a fixed retort.

Words with 该

Example sentences

  • 你太瘦了，该多吃点。 Nǐ tài shòu le, gāi duō chī diǎnr.You need to eat more, you're too slim.
  • 学生应该认真学习。 Xuésheng yīnggāi rènzhēn xuéxí.Students should study diligently.
  • 新老师应该节食。 Xīn lǎoshī yīnggāi jiéshí.The new teacher should go on a diet.
  • 你应该打扫厨房。 Nǐ yīnggāi dǎsǎo chúfáng.You should clean the kitchen.