肯定
definitely; must be (a confident guess)
Structure
主语 + 肯定 + 动词／形容词
What it means
“Definitely; must be”: you are sure, because you know or because you can work it out.
How it is built
Subject + 肯定 + verb / adjective / 会 / 不／没: 这么晚了，商店肯定关门了 (It’s so late, the shops must be shut).
When to use it
Use it for confident statements and confident guesses: 她天天健身，身材肯定很好. It is surer than 说不定 or 估计.
Watch out
Watch where 不 goes: 肯定不 is “definitely not” (我肯定不去), but 不肯定 is “not sure” (我不太肯定). Don’t put 肯定 at the end like English “for sure”.
Examples
这么晚了，商店肯定关门了。
It’s so late, the shops must be shut.
她天天健身，身材肯定很好。
She works out every day, so she must be in great shape.
放心，我肯定不告诉别人。
Don’t worry, I definitely won’t tell anyone.
Learn this in HSK 4 · Lesson 5: 体检 (The health check)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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