Wǒmen xiàge xīngqī yǒu zhōngwén kǎoshì, wǒ děi hǎohāo zhǔnbèi.

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Breakdown of Wǒmen xiàge xīngqī yǒu zhōngwén kǎoshì, wǒ děi hǎohāo zhǔnbèi.

• 有yǒu: to have
• 我们wǒmen: we
• 得děi: must

Questions & Answers about Wǒmen xiàge xīngqī yǒu zhōngwén kǎoshì, wǒ děi hǎohāo zhǔnbèi.

Why do we say 我们下个星期有中文考试 instead of something like 我们下个星期是中文考试?

In Chinese, 有 often means “to have / there will be” when talking about scheduled events.

• 我们下个星期有中文考试
  = We have a Chinese test next week / There will be a Chinese test for us next week.

Using 是 would sound like you are defining what “next week” is, almost like:
下个星期是中文考试 → “Next week is Chinese exam,” which is not natural as a way to say “we have an exam next week.”

So for events that will happen (classes, meetings, exams, activities), Chinese typically uses 有:

• 明天有会议。= There is a meeting tomorrow / We have a meeting tomorrow.
• 星期五有中文课。= We have Chinese class on Friday.

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What is the function of 得 (děi) here, and how is it different from other 得 that I’ve seen?

In this sentence, 得 (děi) is a modal verb meaning “must / have to / need to”:

• 我得好好准备。
  = I must prepare well.

This 得 is pronounced děi (third tone) and always comes before a verb phrase.

There is another very common 得 (de) (neutral tone) that acts as a particle after verbs or adjectives, introducing a complement:

• 说得很快 = to speak (in such a way that it is) very fast
• 他跑得很慢 = he runs (in such a way that it is) very slowly

So:

• 得 (děi) = must / have to
• 得 (de) = structural particle after a verb or adjective

In your sentence, it is clearly the “must” one: 我得准备.

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