Nǐ děi xiān chī wán zǎofàn, zài qù yínháng.

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Breakdown of Nǐ děi xiān chī wán zǎofàn, zài qù yínháng.

• 去qù: to go
• 先xiān: first
• 再zài: then

Questions & Answers about Nǐ děi xiān chī wán zǎofàn, zài qù yínháng.

What does the character 得 (děi) mean here, and how is it different from other 得?

• Here 得 (děi) means must / have to.
• There are three common readings of 得:
  • děi = must (modal verb), as in 你得先…
  • de (neutral tone) = structural particle after a verb/adjective, as in 吃得很快 (eat quickly)
  • dé = to get/obtain, as in 得到 (to obtain)
• Don’t confuse modal 得 (děi) with structural 得 (de) after verbs.

Can I use 要, 必须, or 应该 instead of 得? What’s the difference?

• 得 (děi): colloquial “have to/need to.”
• 要 (yào): can mean “need to/going to/want to” (ambiguous). In this sentence it can work, but context must disambiguate.
• 必须 (bìxū): strongest, formal “must,” non-negotiable.
• 应该 (yīnggāi): “should/ought to,” weaker, a recommendation.
• Examples:
  • 你得/要先吃完早饭，再去银行。
  • 你必须先吃完早饭，再去银行。
  • 你应该先吃完早饭，再去银行。

How do I negate this idea?

• To say it’s not necessary: use 不用/不必/不需要.
  • 你不必先吃完早饭就可以去银行。
  • 你不用先吃完早饭就去银行吧。
• To forbid: use 别/不要.
  • 别去银行。先把早饭吃完。
• Avoid negating modal 得 (děi) directly with 不 in this meaning.

What does the 先…再… pattern do? Could I use 然后 instead of 再?