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 (don't need to)
My treat
- You take a friend to lunch, and she reaches for her wallet.
- need not不用给钱，I / me我to give a dinner party请客。 — "You don't need to pay — it's on me."
need not不用 + Verb = don't need to
- need not不用 + Verb = "there's no need to": need not不用anxious担心, need not不用polite客气, need not不用to go去.
- It is the usual negative of want / will / need要 / (degree marker)得 (must) when something is unnecessary.
you你don't need to不用worry担心。
Polite replies
- A: to thank谢谢！ B: You're welcome不用谢。 — "No need to thank me."
- A: want / will / need要I / me我to help帮忙(yes/no ?)吗？ B: need not不用(completed / change)了，to thank谢谢。 — "No need, thanks."
no need不用了，thanks谢谢。
Not "don't use", not "mustn't"
- need not不用 + Verb means "no need to"; "mustn't" is cannot不能 / not不can / may可以: here这里cannot不能to smoke (a cigarette…抽烟.
- need not不用 + noun can mean "don't use": need not不用chopsticks筷子 — "not use chopsticks". Check whether a verb or noun follows.
need not不用 versus don't别
- don't别 + Verb = "don't (do it)", an order: 别去！
- need not不用 + Verb = "you needn't", kinder and lighter: need not不用to go去(completed / change)了 — "No need to go any more."
don't别go去！
Recap
- need not不用 + Verb = don't need to; You're welcome不用谢 / need not不用(completed / change)了 are polite replies.
- "Mustn't" = cannot不能; "don't!" = don't别.
Practise this pattern step by step.
(degree marker)得 (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(degree marker)得to walk走(completed / change)了，today今天evening晚上(degree marker)得to write写to finish完paper论文。 — "I have to go; I've got to finish my essay tonight."
(degree marker)得 (děi) + Verb = must, have to
- (degree marker)得 read děi before a verb = "must, have to", common in speech: I / me我(degree marker)得to walk走(completed / change)了, you你(degree marker)得早点儿to sleep睡.
- It expresses necessity or obligation.
you你have to得earlier早点儿sleep睡。
Spoken necessity
- tomorrow明天to have / there is有to take an exam考试，I / me我(degree marker)得variant of 复习复习。 — "There's an exam tomorrow; I have to revise."
- 这件事得to ask问teacher老师。 — "We'll have to ask the teacher about this."
tomorrow明天there is有an exam考试，I我have to得revise复习。
The negative is need not不用
- "Don't have to" is need not不用, never must not不得: you你not不to be used for用来, not you你must not不得to come来.
- Read it děi only before a verb meaning "must"; after a verb (跑得快) it is the particle de.
(degree marker)得 versus to have to必须 and want / will / need要
- to have to必须 is stronger and more formal: you你to have to必须band带identity card身份证.
- want / will / need要 can mean "need to / will": 我要to go去bank银行. (degree marker)得 is the casual "have to".
you你must必须bring带ID身份证。
Recap
- (degree marker)得 (děi) + Verb = have to, must (spoken).
- Negative = need not不用; formal = to have to必须. After a verb, (degree marker)得 = de (complement).
Practise this pattern step by step.
Practice without the models
need not不用 (don't need to)
1301.1 Reassure: “You don't need to come early.” you你…………early早to come来。
1301.2 A sign says you mustn't take photos. Which fits? here这里____to take a picture拍照。
- A. need not不用
- B. useless没用
- C. have no choice or option…不得不
- D. cannot不能
1301.3 Build: “No need, thanks.”
Arrange all chunks: ， / to thank谢谢。 / need not不用(completed / change)了
1301.4 need not不用to go去(completed / change)了 sounds lighter than 别去.
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 (děi) (must / have to)
1302.1 Complete (spoken): “I have to go now.” I / me我…………to walk走(completed / change)了。
1302.2 Which says “You don't have to come”?
- A. you你not不to be used for用来。
- B. you你not不to have to必须to come来。
- C. you你must not不得to come来。
- D. you你(degree marker)得not不to come来。
1302.3 Build: “There's an exam tomorrow; I have to revise.”
Arrange all chunks: tomorrow明天to have / there is有to take an exam考试 / ， / variant of 复习复习。 / I / me我(degree marker)得
1302.4 In he / him他to run跑(degree marker)得很快, (degree marker)得 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.
Answers and explanations
need not不用 (don't need to)
1301.1 need not不用
need not不用 + verb = no need to.
1301.2 D. cannot不能
Prohibition is cannot不能; need not不用 means no need.
1301.3 need not不用(completed / change)了，to thank谢谢。
A polite refusal.
1301.4 True.
need not不用 says it is unnecessary; don't别 is an order.
1301.5 One possible response: need not不用给钱，I / me我to give a dinner party请客。
Check meaning and form:
- My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
- I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
- need not不用 + Verb means "no need to"; "mustn't" is cannot不能 / not不can / may可以: here这里cannot不能to smoke (a cigarette…抽烟.
- need not不用 + noun can mean "don't use": need not不用chopsticks筷子 – "not use chopsticks". Check whether a verb or noun follows.
- I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.
(degree marker)得 (děi) (must / have to)
1302.1 (degree marker)得
(degree marker)得 (děi) + verb = must.
1302.2 A. you你not不to be used for用来。
The negative of (degree marker)得 (must) is need not不用.
1302.3 tomorrow明天to have / there is有to take an exam考试，I / me我(degree marker)得variant of 复习复习。
Reason, then (degree marker)得 + verb.
1302.4 False.
After a verb, (degree marker)得 is the particle de.
1302.5 One possible response: I / me我(degree marker)得to walk走(completed / change)了，today今天evening晚上(degree marker)得to write写to finish完paper论文。
Check meaning and form:
- My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
- I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
- "Don't have to" is need not不用, never must not不得: you你not不to be used for用来, not you你must not不得to come来.
- Read it děi only before a verb meaning "must"; after a verb (跑得快) it is the particle de.
- I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.