应该 (yīng gāi) — ought to in Mandarin
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#143 most common word · HSK 3 · CEFR B1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
应该 is pronounced yīng gāi. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Nǐ yīnggāi duō hē shuǐ.
You should drink more water.
Hear it, then say it right
Reading pinyin only gets you halfway. ToneDeck plays native audio for 应该 and thousands more words, then scores your pronunciation so your tones land. HSK 1 is free, no install.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 应该 mean?+
应该 (yīng gāi) means "ought to" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 应该?+
应该 is pronounced yīng gāi. It uses the tone 1 (high flat). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 应该 in Mandarin?+
应该 is the #143 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 应该 fits
Every HSK 3 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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