Auxiliary verbs

Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.

need not不用bù yòng (don't need to)

My treat

• You take a friend to lunch, and she reaches for her wallet.
• need not不用bù yòng给钱gěi qián，I / me我wǒto give a dinner party请客qǐng kè。 – "You don't need to pay – it's on me."

need not不用bù yòng + Verb = don't need to

• need not不用bù yòng + Verb = "there's no need to": need not不用bù yònganxious担心dān xīn, need not不用bù yòngpolite客气kè qì, need not不用bù yòngto go去qù.
• It is the usual negative of want / will / need要yào / (degree marker)得de (must) when something is unnecessary.

you你nǐdon't need to不用bú yòngworry担心dān xīn。

Polite replies

• A: to thank谢谢xiè xiè！ B: You're welcome不用谢bù yòng xiè。 – "No need to thank me."
• A: want / will / need要yàoI / me我wǒto help帮忙bāng máng(yes/no ?)吗ma？ B: need not不用bù yòng(completed / change)了le，to thank谢谢xiè xiè。 – "No need, thanks."

no need不用bú yòng了le，thanks谢谢xiè xie。

Not "don't use", not "mustn't"

• need not不用bù yòng + Verb means "no need to"; "mustn't" is cannot不能bù néng / not不bùcan / may可以kě yǐ: here这里zhè lǐcannot不能bù néngto smoke (a cigarette…抽烟chōu yān.
• need not不用bù yòng + noun can mean "don't use": need not不用bù yòngchopsticks筷子kuài zi – "not use chopsticks". Check whether a verb or noun follows.

need not不用bù yòng versus don't别bié

• don't别bié + Verb = "don't (do it)", an order: 别去bié qù！
• need not不用bù yòng + Verb = "you needn't", kinder and lighter: need not不用bù yòngto go去qù(completed / change)了le – "No need to go any more."

don't别biégo去qù！

Recap

• need not不用bù yòng + Verb = don't need to; You're welcome不用谢bù yòng xiè / need not不用bù yòng(completed / change)了le are polite replies.
• "Mustn't" = cannot不能bù néng; "don't!" = don't别bié.

Practise this pattern step by step.

(degree marker)得de (děi) (must / have to)

I have to go

• It is 9 p.m. and you still have an essay due tomorrow morning.
• I / me我wǒ(degree marker)得deto walk走zǒu(completed / change)了le，today今天jīn tiānevening晚上wǎn shàng(degree marker)得deto write写xiěto finish完wánpaper论文lùn wén。 – "I have to go; I've got to finish my essay tonight."

(degree marker)得de (děi) + Verb = must, have to

• (degree marker)得de read děi before a verb = "must, have to", common in speech: I / me我wǒ(degree marker)得deto walk走zǒu(completed / change)了le, you你nǐ(degree marker)得de早点儿zǎo diǎn érto sleep睡shuì.
• It expresses necessity or obligation.

you你nǐhave to得děiearlier早点儿zǎo diǎnrsleep睡shuì。

Spoken necessity

• tomorrow明天míng tiānto have / there is有yǒuto take an exam考试kǎo shì，I / me我wǒ(degree marker)得devariant of 复习复习fù xí。 – "There's an exam tomorrow; I have to revise."
• 这件zhè jiàn事得shì déto ask问wènteacher老师lǎo shī。 – "We'll have to ask the teacher about this."

tomorrow明天míng tiānthere is有yǒuan exam考试kǎo shì，I我wǒhave to得děirevise复习fù xí。

The negative is need not不用bù yòng

• "Don't have to" is need not不用bù yòng, never must not不得bù dé: you你nǐnot不bùto be used for用来yòng lái, not you你nǐmust not不得bù déto come来lái.
• Read it děi only before a verb meaning "must"; after a verb (跑得快pǎo dé kuài) it is the particle de.

(degree marker)得de versus to have to必须bì xū and want / will / need要yào

• to have to必须bì xū is stronger and more formal: you你nǐto have to必须bì xūband带dàiidentity card身份证shēn fèn zhèng.
• want / will / need要yào can mean "need to / will": 我要wǒ yàoto go去qùbank银行yín háng. (degree marker)得de is the casual "have to".

you你nǐmust必须bì xūbring带dàiID身份证shēn fèn zhèng。

Recap

• (degree marker)得de (děi) + Verb = have to, must (spoken).
• Negative = need not不用bù yòng; formal = to have to必须bì xū. After a verb, (degree marker)得de = de (complement).

Practise this pattern step by step.

Practice without the models

Choose a pattern, cover its teaching examples, and attempt its questions. Use the labels to find feedback in the separate key.

need not不用bù yòng (don't need to)

1301.1 Reassure: “You don't need to come early.” you你nǐ…………early早zǎoto come来lái。

1301.2 A sign says you mustn't take photos. Which fits? here这里zhè lǐ____to take a picture拍照pāi zhào。

• A. need not不用bù yòng
• B. useless没用méi yòng
• C. have no choice or option…不得不bù dé bù
• D. cannot不能bù néng

1301.3 Build: “No need, thanks.”

Arrange all chunks: ， / to thank谢谢xiè xiè。 / need not不用bù yòng(completed / change)了le

1301.4 need not不用bù yòngto go去qù(completed / change)了le sounds lighter than 别去bié qù.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

1301.5 You take a friend to lunch, and she reaches for her wallet. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

(degree marker)得de (děi) (must / have to)

1302.1 Complete (spoken): “I have to go now.” I / me我wǒ…………to walk走zǒu(completed / change)了le。

1302.2 Which says “You don't have to come”?

• A. you你nǐnot不bùto be used for用来yòng lái。
• B. you你nǐnot不bùto have to必须bì xūto come来lái。
• C. you你nǐmust not不得bù déto come来lái。
• D. you你nǐ(degree marker)得denot不bùto come来lái。

1302.3 Build: “There's an exam tomorrow; I have to revise.”

Arrange all chunks: tomorrow明天míng tiānto have / there is有yǒuto take an exam考试kǎo shì / ， / variant of 复习复习fù xí。 / I / me我wǒ(degree marker)得de

1302.4 In he / him他tāto run跑pǎo(degree marker)得de很快hěn kuài, (degree marker)得de is read děi.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

1302.5 It is 9 p.m. and you still have an essay due tomorrow morning. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. A learner translates you你nǐnot不bùto be used for用来yòng lái as You must not come. Correct the strength of the message.

R2. Use it yourself. Say you must leave early, but your friend does not need to come with you.

Write your responses before opening the key. Compare meaning as well as form; a different valid answer need not copy the model.