How to Write 必 (bì) — Meaning “must; certainly”

Imagine a heart (心) with a hook (the first stroke) grabbing it, as if you must catch it. Or picture the diagonal slash as a checkmark over a heart, meaning 'must check your heart.'

Write in this order: left dot, then a curved hook (like a crescent), then a middle dot, a right dot, and finally a diagonal slash from upper right to lower left. A common mistake is making the hook too flat or forgetting the final slash.

必 has a diagonal slash crossing the heart shape, while 心 is just the heart without the slash. The radical ⺗ looks like a heart but is used at the bottom of characters like 思, and it also lacks the slash. In meaning, 必 means 'must,' while 心 means 'heart.'

必 appears in common words like 必须 (must) and 必要 (necessary) to express obligation or certainty. For example, '你必须学习' means 'You must study.' It is a key character for forming clear instructions or requirements.

Common words containing 必 include: 必须 (bì xū) — must; have to; 不必 (bù bì) — need not; not necessary; 必要 (bì yào) — necessary; essential.