该

該
gāi
verb HSK 3 #129

Meanings

  1. 1 should
  2. 2 ought to

Characters

Speech radical 讠 + 亥 - words about what one ought to do

Examples

HSK 1
Nǐ gāi xiūxi le.
You should rest now.
HSK 1
Xiànzài gāi nǐ le.
Now it's your turn.
HSK 3
Wǒ gāi zěnmebàn?
What should I do?

Tips

grammar
该 is softer than 必须 (must) but stronger than 可以 (may). It implies something is expected or proper.
usage
该...了 pattern expresses 'it's time to...': 该吃饭了 = It's time to eat, 该走了 = It's time to go.

Components

radical
讠 yán
speech (radical form)
Left speech radical (simplified from 言) - the indexing semantic. Heads verbs of speaking, agreeing, promising, judging: 说, 话, 谁, 谢. In 该 it points to the verbal sense of stating an obligation: words about what someone ought to do.
phonetic
亥 hài
12th earthly branch (here phonetic)
Right 亥 gives the sound - shares the rime with 该 gāi, with the initial shifting (h→g) but the rime preserved. A typical phonetic compound. Same phonetic body produces 孩 (child) and 骸 (skeleton); the 'pig / earthly branch' meaning of 亥 doesn't carry.

Stroke Order

该 gāi