必
Meanings
- certainly
- must
- will
- necessarily
Characters in this entry
- 必
- bì · surely, most certainly; must
Explore the spelling
Mandarin tones
4 · bi4
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
Sentences in context
Exact source-spelling matches. Open the reader for dictionary lookups, construction notes and related examples. Occurrence does not establish a particular dictionary sense.
Read this spelling in Classical texts
Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 6 senses · 1 Cantonese reading
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
bit1
Cantonese word readings for 必. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character
- surely; most certainly; always; invariably
- must; have to; shall
- (literary) conjunction indicating the condition of a concession or exception, especially a hypothetical or implied one
- (Hakka, Southern Min) to crack
- (Southern Min) to chap (of skin)
- (Teochew) crowded; packed; congested
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack