Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 應該 / 应该 | yīnggāi |
| 應當 / 应当 | yīngdāng |
| 該 / 该 | gāi |
The term 應該 / 应该 is used to express two different concepts: a moral obligation (what one ought to do) and a logical probability (what one expects to happen). Additionally, the word 如果 (rúguǒ) can be used to introduce a condition or assumption before suggesting what one 'should' do.
Which one should you use?
While 應該 / 应该 is the standard form, 應當 / 应当 is more formal and carries a stronger sense of moral or social duty. Conversely, the single syllable 該 / 该 is a colloquial shortening of 應該 / 应该 used in spoken Chinese.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, you can use 應該 (ying1 goi1) to express 'should' instead of the Mandarin 应该 (yīnggāi).
How does it change in a sentence?
Unlike English, 應該 / 应该 does not change its form based on the subject or the tense of the sentence. The single syllable 該 / 该 functions as a common colloquial shortening of 應該 / 应该.
How do you pronounce it?
yīnggāi
Did you know?
- If you say 該你了 (gāi nǐ le), you are not saying 'it should be you', but rather 'it is your turn'.
- The character 應 (yīng) in 應該 (yīnggāi) is the same character used in the word for 'respond' or 'answer', linking the idea of 'should' to a sense of responding to a situation.
- In some contexts, 該 / 该 can act as a demonstrative pronoun meaning 'that' or 'the aforementioned', rather than an auxiliary verb for obligation.
Examples in context
- 他 应该 早点睡觉。(Tā yīnggāi zǎodiǎn shuìjiào.)He should go to bed early.
- 我们 应当 尊重他人的意见。(Wǒmen yīngdāng zūnzhòng tārén de yìjiàn.)We should respect others' opinions.
- 他 应该要 更加努力学习。(Tā yīnggāi yào gèngjiā nǔlì xuéxí.)He should study harder.
- 他 应该 去看这部电影。(Tā yīnggāi qù kàn zhè bù diànyǐng.)He should watch this movie.
- 我 得 赶快准备明天的演讲。(Wǒ děi gǎnkuài zhǔnbèi míngtiān de yǎnjiǎng.)I should quickly prepare for tomorrow's presentation.
- 你 该 听父母的话。(Nǐ gāi tīng fùmǔ de huà.)You should listen to your parents.
- 你 不应该 说谎。(Nǐ bù yīnggāi shuōhuǎng.)You should not lie.
- 如果 你想保持健康，你 应该 多锻炼。(Rúguǒ nǐ xiǎng bǎochí jiànkāng, nǐ yīnggāi duō duànliàn.)If you want to stay healthy, you should exercise more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “should” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
