必须
HSK 3 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)Old HSK 3
必须 (bìxū) · must
必须 (bìxū) means “must; to have to”. It is written with 2 characters: 必 (surely) + 须 (beard). It is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 必须 is built
The characters
必 bì · surely
What 必 is made of
- 心xīn — heart
- 丿 — falling stroke
须 xū · beard
What 须 is made of
- 彡shān — hair
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 丿 — falling stroke
- 页yè — page
- 贝bèi — sea shell
- 冂 — frame
- 人rén — person
- 贝bèi — sea shell
Origin hint: Hair 彡 growing on the face 页 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
我们必须早点儿走。Wǒmen bìxū zǎo diǎnr zǒu.We must leave early.
明天必须来吗？Míngtiān bìxū lái ma?Do I have to come tomorrow?
Questions about 必须
What does 必须 mean?
必须 (bìxū) means “must; to have to”.
How do you pronounce 必须?
必须 is pronounced bìxū.
Which HSK level is 必须?
必须 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021) and Old HSK 3.
Related words
- 必然bìráninevitable
- 必要bìyàonecessary
- 不必bùbìneed not
- 未必wèibìnot necessarily
- 何必hébìwhy should
- 势必shìbìto be bound to
- 务必wùbìmust
- 胡须húxūbeard
- 须知xūzhīnotice
Learn 必须 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 23: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.