HSK 3 · Modal & Attitude

不得不

bù dé bù

to have to

Stroke order of 不得不

3 characters, 19 strokes in total. Watch the animation, then try writing it yourself.

不 · 4 strokes 得 · 11 strokes 不 · 4 strokes

Memory trick

No 不 getting 得 around no 不: a double negative that leaves only one road.

Parts: 不 not + 得 get + 不 not

The characters in 不得不

不 bù — not; no (4 strokes)
得 dé — to get; to obtain (11 strokes)
不 bù — not; no (4 strokes)

Example sentence

我不得不早点儿起床。

I have to get up earlier.

Words with 不

不客气you're welcome 对不起sorry 不not; no 不大not very; not often 不用no need 不对incorrect 是不是is it or not 不久soon; not long after 不一会儿in a short while 不少quite a lot 不够not enough 不满dissatisfied 不好意思sorry; embarrassed 不一定not necessarily 差不多almost; about the same 不要don't 不行no way; won't do 不过but; however

Words with 得

觉得to think; to feel 记得to remember 得到to get; to receive 得to get; to obtain 懂得to understand; to know 得出to reach (a conclusion)取得to obtain; to achieve 认得to know; to recognize 得分to score; score 显得to appear; to seem 值得to be worth; to deserve

Words with 不

不客气you're welcome 对不起sorry 不not; no 不大not very; not often 不用no need 不对incorrect 是不是is it or not 不久soon; not long after 不一会儿in a short while 不少quite a lot 不够not enough 不满dissatisfied 不好意思sorry; embarrassed 不一定not necessarily 差不多almost; about the same 不要don't 不行no way; won't do 不过but; however

More words: Modal & Attitude

当然of course 其实actually 确实indeed; really 果然as expected; sure enough 到底after all; on earth 反正anyway 难道could it be that 千万be sure to; ten million 恐怕I'm afraid; perhaps 大概probably; roughly 就是exactly; just 只是only; merely; but 只有only; only if 只好to have no choice but to 不必need not

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