该
该 (gāi) means “should”. It is made of 讠 + 亥 and has 8 strokes, and is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 该 into its parts
What 该 is made of
- 讠 yán — speech
- 亥 hài — 12th terrestrial branch
- 亠 tóu — lid
- 丶 — dot
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 亠 tóu — lid
Origin hint: 讠 gives the meaning, 亥 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
该 stroke order
Example sentences
我该走了。Wǒ gāi zǒu le.I should get going.
现在该谁了？Xiànzài gāi shéi le?Whose turn is it now?
Words with 该
Also built with 讠
- 计jìto calculate
- 订dìngto book
- 认rènto know
- 讥jīto ridicule
- 讨tǎoto haggle
- 让ràngto let
- 训xùnto teach
- 议yìto consult
- 讯xùnnews
- 记jìto remember
- 讲jiǎngto speak
- 讳huìtaboo
Quick facts
| Pinyin | gāi |
|---|---|
| Meaning | should; ought to |
| Strokes | 8 |
| Radical | 言 (speech, #149) |
| Pattern | Left–right |
| HSK | HSK 3 (exam 2025) · HSK 2 (2021) |
Questions about 该
What does 该 mean?
该 (gāi) means “should; ought to”.
How many strokes does 该 have?
该 has 8 strokes.
What is the radical of 该?
The radical of 该 is 言 (yán, “speech”), Kangxi radical number 149.
What parts make up 该?
该 is made of 讠 (speech) and 亥 (12th terrestrial branch).
Which HSK level is 该?
该 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021).
Learn 该 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 16: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.