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HSK 6 Modal verbs

非 … 不可 / 不行 / 不成

Must / cannot but (非…不可)

Structure 非 + verb/clause + 不可 / 不行 / 不成

非…不可 (fēi… bùkě) is a double negative expressing inescapable necessity: "there's no choice but to…, it absolutely must…". 这件事非你去办不可 = "this matter must be handled by you and no one else"; 想成功,非下苦功不可 = "to succeed, you simply have to put in hard graft". The closing varies: 不可 (neutral and most common), 不行 and 不成 (more colloquial). Sometimes 非 also marks stubborn determination: 他非去不可 = "he's dead set on going".

Examples

  • 这zhè件jiàn事shì非fēi你nǐ去qù办bàn不bù可kě,别bié人rén都dōu不bù行xíng。

    This matter must be handled by you and no one else.

  • 想xiǎng要yào成chéng功gōng,非fēi下xià一yī番fān苦kǔ功gōng不bù可kě。

    If you want to succeed, you simply have to put in real hard work.

  • 他tā认rèn定dìng的de事shì,非fēi做zuò到dào底dǐ不bù成chéng。

    Once he sets his mind on something, he has to see it through to the end.

  • 再zài晚wǎn就jiù赶gǎn不bù上shàng车chē了le,现xiàn在zài非fēi走zǒu不bù行xíng。

    Any later and we'll miss the train; we have to leave right now.

Levels are indicative: they follow the standard Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning) progression, not an official HSK 3.0 mapping. We never assign levels by eye.

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