Dictionary › 应该

应该

yīng gāi

Old HSK 3 HSK 3.0 level 3 2-character word Traditional 應該

应该 (yīng gāi) means "ought to". It is an HSK 3.0 level 3 word, and was HSK 3 in the old six-level list.

What 应该 means

1. ought to; should; must

How 应该 is used in grammar

应该 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Modal Verbs: 可能、可以、应该、愿意 (HSK 2)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 3, verbs (能愿动词).

The characters in 应该

• 应yīngto agree (to do sth); should; ought to
• 该gāishould; ought to; probably

Example sentences

• 你应该去。
  You should go.
• 她应该来。
  She should come.
• 你应该道歉。
  You should apologize.
• 你应该戒烟。
  You should give up smoking.
• 他应该来的。
  He was supposed to come.
• 你不应该去。
  You shouldn't go.

Words starting with 应该

• 应该的yīng gāi de(polite response) you're welcome; just doing my duty; no problem

Where 应该 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Stance Adverbs & Evaluative Words (HSK 3), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 3 word, with the rest of its level.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read yīng gāi correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.