非…不可
absolutely must; nothing else will do
Structure
非 动词或名词 不可
What it means
“Absolutely must”, “nothing else will do”. It can also predict something unavoidable.
How it is built
非 + verb or noun + 不可: 这件事非你去不可 (Nobody but you can go and handle this). Prediction: 这样下去非出事不可 (Carry on like this and something is bound to go wrong).
When to use it
A double negative, “if not X, it will not do”, so it is stronger than 必须. The spoken form is 非得….
Watch out
Keep the closing 不可 (spoken: 不行): ✗ 这件事非你去。 ✓ 这件事非你去不可。 Without it, use 非得: 这件事非得你去.
Examples
很多人觉得结婚非买房不可。
Many feel that to marry you simply must buy a flat.
这件事非你去不可。
Nobody but you can go and handle this.
Learn this in Lesson 28 · HSK 5–6: 房子与婚姻 (Housing and marriage)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. This lesson is free.
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