How to use 应该
应该 / 该 + Verb
应该 before a verb phrase presents an action as advisable, appropriate, or expected. It can express a recommendation, a responsibility, or the speaker's judgment about what ought to happen. The subject identifies whose action is being evaluated, and the following verb phrase explains the action itself without changing form.
To say that an action should not be taken, place 不 before 应该. This negates its appropriateness rather than simply reporting a missing past event. The strength of “should” depends on the situation; advice between friends and a statement of responsibility can feel quite different. 应该 also has expectation-based readings in wider usage, so interpret the speaker's intended judgment within context.
Examples with pinyin and English
在中国， 你应该喝白酒。
In China, you should drink baijiu.
我应该给你多少钱？
How much money should I give you?
感冒的时候应该喝热水。
You should drink hot water when you have a cold.
明天你应该八点半来公司。
You should come to the office tomorrow at 8:30.
What to remember
- Put 应该 before the action phrase.
- Use 不应该 for “should not.”
- Advice and obligation differ by context.
Practise the pattern
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
Difficulty labels describe the level of the explanation; they are not official HSK placement. Send a correction with this page’s URL.