HSK · Level 85
45 words
Chinese word
非得
Pronunciation
Pinyinfēi děi
Meaning
- adverbhave to
Example
明天你非得来上班吗？míng tiān nǐ fēi děi lái shàng bān ma
Do you really have to come to work tomorrow?
More examples
你非得亲自去吗？nǐ fēi děi qīn zì qù ma
Do you really have to go in person?
Core concept
A strong pressure leaves no real choice about an action, from unavoidable need to firm insistence.
Common phrases
非得来上班fēi děi lái shàng bān
have to come to work
非得参加会议fēi děi cān jiā huì yì
have to take part in the meeting
非得...才行fēi děi cái xíng
must ___ for it to work
Similar words
必须bì xū: An obligation created by a rule, duty, or objective circumstance.
得dé: A common spoken way to express a need to act in a particular situation.
不得不bù dé bù: Being forced to take an action because no other choice is available.
Definition in Chinese
用于口语，表示因外在或内在原因而不得不做某事，常带强调或无奈意味，通常位于动词前。yòng yú kóu yǔ biǎo shì yīn wài zài huò nèi zài yuán yīn ér bù dé bú zuò mǒu shì cháng dài qiáng diào huò wú nài yì wèi tōng cháng wèi yú dòng cí qián
Word origin
非得 (fēiděi, "have to") uses 非 (fēi, "not") before 得 (děi, "must") to present an action as impossible to avoid, giving the expression its emphatic force.
Usage tips
- In a question, this word can sound like a challenge to the listener's choice, so the same sentence may express surprise or annoyance depending on tone.