该 gāi in a sentence
Ought to (should - this - that - deserve - the)
该 (gāi) means Ought to (should - this - that - deserve - the). Below are 24 of the 62 sentences on this site that use it — with pinyin, an English translation and audio. All of them were written by hand; none is machine generated.
Dictionary examples
你应 该 早点儿休息。
Nǐ yīnggāi zǎo diǎnr xiūxi.
You should rest a bit earlier.
Dictionary example · HSK 3 · 应该
我们应 该 保护海洋。
Wǒmen yīnggāi bǎohù hǎiyáng.
We should protect the oceans.
Dictionary example · HSK 4 · 海洋
我们应 该 公平竞争。
Wǒmen yīnggāi gōngpíng jìngzhēng.
We should compete fairly.
Dictionary example · HSK 4 · 竞争
我们应 该 保护森林。
Wǒmen yīnggāi bǎohù sēnlín.
We should protect the forests.
Dictionary example · HSK 4 · 森林
天亮了， 该 起床了。
Tiān liàng le, gāi qǐchuáng le.
It is light out; time to get up.
Dictionary example · HSK 5 · 亮
每个人都 该 有梦想。
Měi ge rén dōu gāi yǒu mèngxiǎng.
Everyone should have a dream.
Dictionary example · HSK 5 · 梦想
价格应 该 公开透明。
Jiàgé yīnggāi gōngkāi tòumíng.
Prices should be open and transparent.
Dictionary example · HSK 5 · 透明
这些设备 该 更新了。
Zhèxiē shèbèi gāi gēngxīn le.
This equipment is due for replacement.
Dictionary example · HSK 6 · 更新
报道应 该 客观中立。
Bàodào yīnggāi kèguān zhōnglì.
Reporting should be objective and neutral.
Dictionary example · HSK 6 · 中立
你应 该 为这件事道歉。
Nǐ yīnggāi wèi zhè jiàn shì dàoqiàn.
You should apologise for this.
Dictionary example · HSK 4 · 道歉
考完试你 该 放松一下。
Kǎo wán shì nǐ gāi fàngsōng yíxià.
You should relax a bit after the exam.
Dictionary example · HSK 4 · 放松
我们不应 该 浪费食物。
Wǒmen bù yīnggāi làngfèi shíwù.
We should not waste food.
Dictionary example · HSK 4 · 浪费
生活不应 该 这么单调。
Shēnghuó bù yīnggāi zhème dāndiào.
Life should not be this dull.
Dictionary example · HSK 5 · 单调
田里的渠道 该 清理了。
Tián lǐ de qúdào gāi qīnglǐ le.
The irrigation ditches in the field need clearing.
Dictionary example · HSK 6 · 渠道
年轻人应 该 胸怀大志。
Niánqīngrén yīnggāi xiōnghuái dàzhì.
Young people should cherish high aspirations.
Dictionary example · HSK 6 · 胸怀
我们应 该 从错误中学习。
Wǒmen yīnggāi cóng cuòwù zhōng xuéxí.
We should learn from our mistakes.
Dictionary example · HSK 4 · 错误
同学之间应 该 互相帮助。
Tóngxué zhījiān yīnggāi hùxiāng bāngzhù.
Classmates should help each other.
Dictionary example · HSK 4 · 互相
我们应 该 爱护公共设施。
Wǒmen yīnggāi àihù gōnggòng shèshī.
We should take good care of public facilities.
Dictionary example · HSK 5 · 爱护
Reading these is one thing; producing 该 yourself is another. Cloze in Context takes a sentence from this same bank, removes one word and asks you to put it back — beginner, intermediate and advanced.
From the graded readers
答应得越多，别人越觉得那是应 该 的。
dāying dé / děi / de yuè duō, biérén yuè juéde nàshì yīnggāi de / dì.
The more I agreed to, the more it was simply expected.
Graded reader · HSK 4 · Learning to Say No
该 appears in 62 sentences on this site; the 24 shortest and most direct are shown. The rest are on the pages they were written for — the graded readers, the phrasebook and the grammar library.
Words that contain 该
Each of these has sentences of its own, so you can see the character doing a different job in each one.
Questions about 该
How is 该 used in a sentence?
This page shows 62 sentences using 该 (gāi, "Ought to (should - this - that - deserve - the)"), each with pinyin, an English translation and audio. Every one of them was written by hand for this site.
Are these sentences machine generated?
No. They come from the site's own dictionary examples, graded readers, travel phrasebook and grammar library — all written by a person. A word with no sentence gets no page here, rather than a page of invented ones.
Why do some sentences show 该 inside a longer word?
Because that is where a single character usually lives. Seeing 该 inside the words it builds is how the character stops being an isolated symbol and starts being something you can read.
Where can I see the full entry for 该?
The dictionary page for 该 has its stroke order, its traditional form, every sense the dictionary lists and a character-by-character breakdown. It is linked at the top of this page.
Keep going
Read the full entry for 该, write a sentence of your own and check it in the Pinyin Annotator, or search the whole sentence bank for another word.
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