必

See also: 心

必	U+5FC5, 必 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5FC5

← 忄
[U+5FC4]

CJK Unified Ideographs

忆 →
[U+5FC6]

Translingual

Stroke order (Taiwan)

Stroke order (Japan)

Han character

必 (Kangxi radical 61, 心+1, 5 strokes, cangjie input 心竹 (PH), four-corner 3300₀, composition ⿻心丿)

Derived characters

佖咇𪣊妼𢁽怭㧙泌𨸼柲珌䏟祕䀣𥑖秘袐䎵䖩䛑䟤鉍(铋) 䩛䪐飶(𫗣) 馝駜𩨲𪬤鮅(𫚑)
𢖮𨒜𣭈䫾(𫠈) 𠛡𠨘邲覕鴓宓苾毖瑟𫵘𤵘虙𠚊𠰣𡊭𡶇𢗺𤽣𥁑閟(𮤲) 㘠

References

KangXi: page 375, character 2

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10299

Dae Jaweon: page 701, character 4

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2267, character 2

Unihan data for U+5FC5

Chinese

simp. and trad.		必

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 必
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (必) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
泌	mpriɡs, priɡ, *bliɡ
秘	*mpriɡs
毖	*priɡs
閟	*priɡs
柲	priɡs, bliːɡ, priɡ, bliɡ
鉍	priɡs, priɡ
邲	priɡs, bliɡ, *briɡ
覕	pliŋs, mbliːɡ
咇	bliːɡ, priɡ, *bliɡ
苾	bliːɡ, bliɡ
馝	bliːɡ, bliɡ
飶	bliːɡ, bliɡ
鴓	*mbliːɡ
鮅	pliɡ, bliɡ
必	*pliɡ
珌	*pliɡ
佖	bliɡ, briɡ
駜	bliɡ, briɡ
怭	*bliɡ
妼	*bliɡ
宓	mriɡ, mliɡ
樒	*mriɡ
密	*mriɡ
蔤	*mriɡ
滵	*mriɡ
蜜	*mliɡ
謐	*mliɡ
榓	*mliɡ
淧	*mliɡ
瑟	smriɡ, smriɡ
璱	*sriɡ
飋	*sriɡ
虙	*blɯɡ

Likely a pictogram (象形) – weapon handle made of bamboo strips; the original character for 柲 (OC *priɡs, *bliːɡ, *priɡ, *bliɡ). The character was phonetically borrowed for the senses of "certainly" and "must".

Unrelated to 心, as bronze script makes clear, but in current form very similar.

Etymology

Unclear (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): bì (bi⁴)
(Zhuyin): ㄅㄧˋ
(Chengdu, SP): bi²
Cantonese (Jyutping): bit¹
Gan (Wiktionary): bit⁶
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): pit
(Meixian, Guangdong): bid⁵
Jin (Wiktionary): bieh⁴
Min Bei (KCR): bĭ
Min Dong (BUC): bék
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): pit
(Teochew, Peng'im): big⁴
Wu (Wiktionary): piq (T4)
Xiang (Wiktionary): bi⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: bì
  - Zhuyin: ㄅㄧˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: bì
  - Wade–Giles: pi⁴
  - Yale: bì
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bih
  - Palladius: би (bi)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pi⁵¹/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: bi²
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: bi
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pi²¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: bit¹
  - Yale: bīt
  - Cantonese Pinyin: bit⁷
  - Guangdong Romanization: bid¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /piːt̚⁵/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: bit⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pit̚⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: pit
  - Hakka Romanization System: bid`
  - Hagfa Pinyim: bid⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /pit̚²/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: bid⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /pit̚¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: bieh⁴
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /piəʔ²/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: bĭ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pi²⁴/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: bék
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɛiʔ²⁴/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: pit
  - Tâi-lô: pit
  - Phofsit Daibuun: pid
  - IPA (Xiamen): /pit̚³²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /pit̚⁵/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /pit̚³²/
  - IPA (Taipei): /pit̚³²/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /pit̚³²/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: big⁴
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: pik
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pik̚²/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: piq (T4)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pi̯ɪʔ⁵⁵/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: bi⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pi²⁴/

Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 必
Mandarin	Beijing	/pi⁵¹/
	Harbin	/pi⁵³/
	Tianjin	/pi⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/pi⁵⁵/
	Qingdao	/pi⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/pi⁴²/
	Xi'an	/pi²¹/
	Xining	/pji⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/pi¹³/
	Lanzhou	/pi¹³/
	Ürümqi	/pi²¹³/
	Wuhan	/pi²¹³/
	Chengdu	/pi³¹/
	Guiyang	/pi²¹/
	Kunming	/pi³¹/
	Nanjing	/piʔ⁵/
	Hefei	/piəʔ⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/piəʔ²/
	Pingyao	/piʌʔ¹³/
	Hohhot	/piəʔ⁴³/
Wu	Shanghai	/piɪʔ⁵/
	Suzhou	/piəʔ⁵/
	Hangzhou	/piəʔ⁵/
	Wenzhou	/pi²¹³/
Hui	Shexian	/piʔ²¹/
Hui	Tunxi	/pi⁵/
Xiang	Changsha	/pi²⁴/
Xiang	Xiangtan	/pi²⁴/
Gan	Nanchang	/piʔ⁵/
Hakka	Meixian	/pit̚¹/
Hakka	Taoyuan	/pit̚²²/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/pit̚⁵/
	Nanning	/pit̚⁵⁵/
	Hong Kong	/pit̚⁵/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/pit̚³²/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/pɛiʔ²³/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/pi²⁴/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/pik̚²/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/ʔbit̚⁵/

Middle Chinese: /piɪt̚/

Rime
Character	必
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	幫 (1)
Final (韻)	眞 (48)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	卑吉切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/piɪt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/pit̚/
Shao Rongfen	/pjet̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/pit̚/
Li Rong	/piĕt̚/
Wang Li	/pĭĕt̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/pi̯ĕt̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	bi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	bat¹

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*pi[t]/
(Zhengzhang): /*pliɡ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	必
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	bì
Middle Chinese	‹ pjit ›
Old Chinese	/*pi[t]/
English	necessarily
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	必
Reading #	1/1
No.	568
Phonetic component	必
Rime group	質
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	必
Old Chinese	/*pliɡ/

Definitions

必

surely; most certainly; always; invariably
- 小大之獄，雖不能察，必以情。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  小大之狱，虽不能察，必以情。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE
  Xiǎodà zhī yù, suī bù néng chá, bì yǐ qíng. [Pinyin]
  As for legal trials petty or serious, even if I could not judge with perfect justice, I always decide according to the facts.
must; have to; shall
- 王曰：「雖然，必告不穀。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  王曰：“虽然，必告不谷。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE
  Wáng yuē: “Suīrán, bì gào bùgǔ.” [Pinyin]
  "Nevertheless, you have to tell me," said the king.
- 耶和華神對蛇說，你既作了這事，就必受咒詛，比一切的牲畜野獸更甚。你必用肚子行走，終身吃土。 [MSC, trad.]
  耶和华神对蛇说，你既作了这事，就必受咒诅，比一切的牲畜野兽更甚。你必用肚子行走，终身吃土。 [MSC, simp.]
  Yēhéhuá shén duì shé shuō, nǐ jì zuò le zhè shì, jiù bì shòu zhòuzǔ, bǐ yīqiè de shēngchù yěshòu gèng shèn. Nǐ bì yòng dùzi xíngzǒu, zhōngshēn chī tǔ. [Pinyin]
  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed [must receive a curse] above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go [you must use your belly to go], and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.
(literary) conjunction indicating the condition of a concession or exception, especially a hypothetical or implied one
- 子曰：「君子無所爭，必也射乎！揖讓而升，下而飲，其爭也君子。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  子曰：“君子无所争，必也射乎！揖让而升，下而饮，其争也君子。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Zǐyuē: “Jūnzǐ wú suǒ zhēng, bì yě shè hū! Yīràng ér shēng, xià ér yìn, qí zhēng yě jūnzǐ.” [Pinyin]
  The Master said, "The student of virtue has no contentions. If it be said he cannot avoid them, shall this be in archery? But he bows complaisantly to his competitors; thus he ascends the hall, descends, and exacts the forfeit of drinking. In his contention, he is still the Junzi."
- 必不得已而去，於斯三者何先？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
  必不得已而去，于斯三者何先？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]
  From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
  Bì bùdéyǐ ér qù, yú sī sānzhě hé xiān? [Pinyin]
  If it cannot be helped, and one of these must be dispensed with, which of the three should be foregone first?
(Min Nan) (of skin) to chap
(Hakka, Min Nan) to crack

Compounds

Derived terms from 必

不必 (bùbì)
事在必行
令出必行
何必 (hébì)
大可不必 (dàkěbùbì)
安必思危
必不得已
必修 (bìxiū)
必修科
必定 (bìdìng)
必律律
必得 (bìděi)
必然 (bìrán)
必若
必要 (bìyào)
必需 (bìxū)
必需品 (bìxūpǐn)
志在必得 (zhìzàibìdé)
想必 (xiǎngbì)
操刀必割
日中必彗
早名必折
是必 (shìbì)
有其父必有其子 (yǒu qí fù bì yǒu qí zǐ)
未必 (wèibì)

末大必折
理所必然
甘泉必竭
盛筵必散
直木必伐
若必
言出必行 (yánchūbìxíng)
言多必失 (yánduōbìshī)
言必有中 (yánbìyǒuzhòng)
阿必尚
事必躬親／事必躬亲 (shìbìgōngqīn)
信賞必罰／信赏必罚
分秒必爭／分秒必争 (fēnmiǎobìzhēng)
剝極必復／剥极必复
務必／务必 (wùbì)
勢在必行／势在必行 (shìzàibìxíng)
勢必／势必 (shìbì)
勢所必然／势所必然
否極必泰／否极必泰
哀兵必勝／哀兵必胜 (āibīngbìshèng)
多行不義必自斃／多行不义必自毙 (duō xíng bùyì bì zìbì)
必備／必备 (bìbèi)
必剝／必剥
必必剝剝／必必剥剥

必爭之地／必争之地 (bìzhēngzhīdì)
必經之路／必经之路 (bìjīngzhīlù)
必要條件／必要条件 (bìyào tiáojiàn)
必須／必须 (bìxū)
忘戰必危／忘战必危
有求必應／有求必应 (yǒuqiúbìyìng)
未必盡然／未必尽然
每戰必勝／每战必胜
物極必反／物极必反 (wùjíbìfǎn)
盈則必虧／盈则必亏
盛必慮衰／盛必虑衰
盛極必衰／盛极必衰
睚眥必報／睚眦必报 (yázìbìbào)
知過必改／知过必改
積善之家，必有餘慶／积善之家，必有余庆 (jīshàn zhī jiā, bì yǒu yúqìng)
蘇必略湖／苏必略湖 (Sūbìlüè Hú)
言必有據／言必有据
諒必／谅必
遊必有方／游必有方
過盛必衰／过盛必衰
錙銖必較／锱铢必较 (zīzhūbìjiào)
飛必沖天／飞必冲天
驕兵必敗／骄兵必败 (jiāobīngbìbài)
驕者必敗／骄者必败

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (必):

→ Japanese: 必(ひつ) (hitsu)
→ Korean: 필(必) (pil)
→ Vietnamese: tất (必)

Japanese

Kanji

必

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji)

inevitably, certainly

Readings

Go-on: ひち (hichi)
Kan-on: ひつ (hitsu, Jōyō)
Kun: かならず (kanarazu, 必ず, Jōyō)
Nanori: さだ (sada); さだむ (sadamu)

Compounds

必(かなら)ず (kanarazu, “necessarily, certainly”)
必(かなら)ずしも (kanarazushimo, “not always”)
必携(ひっけい) (hikkei, “handbook, manual”)
必死(ひっし) (hisshi, “frantic, desperate”)
必需(ひつしゅ) (hitsushu, “necessary”)
必(ひつ)需品(しゅひん) (hitsushuhin, “necessities”)
必殺(ひっさつ) (hissatsu, “definite kill”)
必修(ひっしゅう) (hisshū, “required (subject)”)
必勝(ひっしょう) (hisshō, “certain victory”)
必須(ひっす) (hissu, “indispensable, required”)
必須(ひっす)条(しょう)件(けん) (hissu shōken, “essential condition”)
必(ひつ)然(ぜん) (hitsuzen, “inevitable, necessary”)
必(ひつ)然(ぜん)的(てき) (hitsuzenteki, “inevitable, necessary”)
必(ひっ)着(ちゃく) (hitchaku, “must arrive”)
必(ひつ)読(とく) (hitsutoku, “should be read by all”)
必(ひつ)要(よう) (hitsuyō, “necessity, need”)
必(ひつ)要(よう)性(せい) (hitsuyōsei, “necessity”)
必(ひつ)読(どく)書(しょ) (hitsudokusho, “required reading”)
不(ふ)必(ひつ)要(よう) (fuhitsuyō, “unnecessary”)
必死(ひっし)になって (hisshi ni natte, “desperately”)
必見(ひっけん) (hikken, “a must-see”)

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 必 (MC piɪt̚).

Historical readings
Recorded as Middle Korean 비ᇙ〮 (Yale: pílq) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448. Recorded as Middle Korean 필 (phil) (Yale: phil) in Sinjeung Yuhap (新增類合 / 신증유합), 1576.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [pʰiɭ]
Phonetic hangul: [필]

Hanja

Wikisource必 (eumhun 반드시 필 (bandeusi pil))

Hanja form^? of 필 (“surely; certainly; without fail”).

Compounds

필요 (必要, piryo)
필수 (必須, pilsu)
필승 (必勝, pilseung)
필연 (必然, piryeon)
필수 (必修, pilsu)
기필 (期必, gipil)
필시 (必是, pilsi)
필사 (必死, pilsa)
필패 (必敗, pilpae)
필독 (必讀, pildok)
필지 (必至, pilji)
불필 (不必, bulpil)
필살 (必殺, pilsal)
필연 (必然, piryeon)
필득 (必得, pildeuk)
필용 (必用, piryong)
필위 (必爲, pirwi)
필정 (必定, piljeong)
필중 (必中, piljung)
필지 (必知, pilji)
필착 (必着, pilchak)
필멸 (必滅, pilmyeol)
필벌 (必罰, pilbeol)
하필 (何必, hapil)
필멸 (必滅, pilmyeol)
생필품 (生必品, saengpilpum)
미가필 (未可必, migapil)
필요악 (必要惡, piryoak)
불필요 (不必要, bulpiryo)

References

국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

必: Hán Nôm readings: tất, ắt

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