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to get (dé) / degree particle (de) / must (děi)

dé / de / děi
11 strokes · 彳 (step radical) + 旦-hand right side — walking and gaining · HSK 2

Where 得 comes from

In oracle script 得 showed a hand picking up a cowrie shell — ancient money — sometimes with a road beside it: finding wealth on the way. Walking 彳 and gaining: to get, to obtain.

得 in Chinese culture

得 wears three hats, and learners meet all three early. As dé it means to gain: 得到 (obtain). As weightless de it links verbs to how well they're done: 说得好 (well said!), 跑得快 (runs fast) — the grammar glue of every compliment. As děi it means must: 我得走了 ('I gotta go'), the politest way to escape any dinner. One character, three pronunciations, all about what you get and what gets you.

Example

得到 dédào — to obtain

你中文说得很好。
Nǐ Zhōngwén shuō de hěn hǎo.
You speak Chinese very well.

How to remember it

A hand finding money on the road 彳 — to GET (and how well you get it).

说得好 'well said' and 我得走 'I must go' use the same character at different pronunciations — context is everything.

Same sound, different tones

2nd dé
to get
neutral de
(degree particle)
3rd děi
must

Words unlocked by 得

得到 dédào
to obtain
觉得 juéde
to feel
说得好 shuō de hǎo
well said
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