Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒmen děi xiǎng yí gè bànfǎ jiějué zhè gè wèntí. - We have to think of a way to solve this problem.

Word

我们　得　想　一　个　办法　解决　这　个　问题。wǒmen děi xiǎng yí gè bànfǎ jiějué zhè gè wèntí.

Meaning

We have to think of a way to solve this problem.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Chinese

Lesson

Lesson 25

Breakdown of wǒmen děi xiǎng yí gè bànfǎ jiějué zhè gè wèntí.

Used when counting nouns or when specifying a specific instance of a noun.

There are also classifiers for people, for bound items such as books and magazines, for cups/glasses, etc.

The classifier 个 is a general one that can be used for any of these.

我们wǒmenwǒmen

Questions & Answers about wǒmen děi xiǎng yí gè bànfǎ jiějué zhè gè wèntí.

What does 得 mean here, and why is it pronounced děi?

Here 得 means must, have to, or need to. So 我们得想一个办法 means we need to think of a way.

This is a different 得 from the very common grammar particle pronounced de or dé. Mandarin has several words written 得, so learners often have to tell them apart by context:

děi = must / have to
de = a grammatical particle, as in 跑得快
dé = to get / obtain, in some words and expressions

In this sentence, it is clearly the modal verb děi.

Why is 一 pronounced yí instead of yī?

This is because of a very common tone change rule for 一.

Normally, 一 is first tone (yī), but:

before a fourth-tone syllable, it changes to second tone: yí
before a non-fourth-tone syllable, it usually changes to fourth tone: yì

Here it comes before 个 gè, which is fourth tone, so 一个 is pronounced yí gè.

Why are there two 个 in this sentence?