Learn a Chinese Character - 该

1. Character Basics

Radical: 讠 (Speech radical)

Stroke Count: 8 (Number of strokes: 8)

Structure Analysis: 形声字，从讠（言，语言），亥声（hài，表音）。本义指军中互相约束的誓言，后引申为应当、应该 (Phonetic-semantic character: "讠" (speech) + "亥" (phonetic). Originally meant "oath in army", later extended to "should", "ought to".)

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: Gāi (First tone)

3. Meaning

Main meanings:

• Should; Ought to
• Deserved; Proper
• That; The (as a demonstrative pronoun)
• Owe; Be due

主要含义：

• 应该；应当
• 应得到的；适当的
• 那；该（作为指示代词）
• 欠；到期

4. Common Words

• 应该 (yīng gāi) Should; Ought to
• 该当 (gāi dāng) Deserve; Be fit
• 该欠 (gāi qiàn) Owe; Be in debt
• 该打 (gāi dǎ) Deserve a beating
• 该地区 (gāi dì qū) That area; This region

5. Grammar & Usage

"该" has multiple grammatical functions:

• Auxiliary verb: Expressing obligation or necessity. Example: 你该回家了。(Nǐ gāi huí jiā le.) - You should go home now.
• Adjective: Indicating something deserved. Example: 这是你该得到的奖。(Zhè shì nǐ gāi dé de jiǎng.) - This is the award you deserve.
• Pronoun: Referring to something previously mentioned. Example: 该计划将于下月实施。(Gāi jì huà jiāng yú xià yuè shí shī.) - This plan will be implemented next month.
• Verb: Meaning "owe" or "be due". Example: 他该我钱。(Tā gāi wǒ qián.) - He owes me money.

"该"有多种语法功能：

• 助动词：表示义务或必要性。例如：你该回家了。
• 形容词：表示应得到的。例如：这是你该得到的奖。
• 代词：指代前面提到的事物。例如：该计划将于下月实施。
• 动词：表示"欠"或"到期"。例如：他该我钱。

6. Cultural Background

In Chinese culture, the concept of "该" (should/ought to) is closely related to social norms and moral obligations. It reflects the importance of fulfilling one's responsibilities and duties in various relationships, such as family, work, and society. 在中国文化中，"该"（应该/应当）的概念与社会规范和道德义务密切相关。它反映了在家庭、工作和社会 Various 各种关系中履行责任和义务的重要性。

The use of "该" in Chinese often carries a sense of what is proper or appropriate according to cultural expectations, rather than just legal requirements. "该"在中国的使用通常带有根据文化期望什么是适当的或合适的感觉，而仅仅是法律要求。

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

Combine "讠" (speech) + "亥" (hài, pig in Chinese zodiac). Imagine someone speaking about what a pig should do (though pigs are actually quite smart!). 组合"讠"（说话）+"亥"（猪）。想象有人在谈论猪应该做什么（尽管猪实际上很聪明！）。

Alternatively, think of "该" as something you need to say (讠) about what is correct or proper (represented by 亥). 或者，将"该"视为你需要说（讠）关于什么是正确或适当的（由亥表示）。