HSK 6 grammar · new HSK syllabus
未必: not necessarily
未必 = not necessarily: 贵的东西未必好.
Structure
- Subject + 未必 + verb / adjective
How it works
未必 softens a negative: it says something is not necessarily true, without saying it is false: 他未必知道.
It is useful in essays to qualify a claim.
Examples
-
贵的东西未必就是好的。
Expensive things aren’t necessarily good.
-
他这么说，未必是真的。
What he says isn’t necessarily true.
-
考试成绩好的人未必能力强。
People with good exam results aren’t necessarily highly capable.
-
现在出发，未必来得及。
Even if we leave now, we may not make it in time.
-
他未必会同意这个计划。
He may not agree to this plan.
Words in these examples (23)
| 贵 | guì | expensive | HSK 1 |
| 的 | de | (particle linking a describer to a noun, like "'s") | HSK 1 |
| 东西 | dōngxi | thing; stuff | HSK 1 |
| 未必 | wèibì | not necessarily; maybe not | HSK 6 |
| 就是 | jiùshì | exactly; just; that is | HSK 4 |
| 好 | hǎo | good; well | HSK 1 |
| 他 | tā | he; him | HSK 1 |
| 这么 | zhème | so; this (much) | HSK 2 |
| 说 | shuō | to say; to speak | HSK 1 |
| 是 | shì | to be (am, is, are); yes | HSK 1 |
| 真 | zhēn | really; truly | HSK 1 |
| 考试 | kǎoshì | exam; to take an exam | HSK 2 |
| 成绩 | chéngjì | results; grades; score | HSK 3 |
| 人 | rén | person; people | HSK 1 |
| 能力 | nénglì | ability | HSK 4 |
| 强 | qiáng | strong | HSK 4 |
| 现在 | xiànzài | now | HSK 1 |
| 出发 | chūfā | to set off | HSK 3 |
| 来得及 | láidejí | there's still time | HSK 4 |
| 会 | huì | can; to know how to | HSK 1 |
| 同意 | tóngyì | to agree | HSK 3 |
| 这个 | zhège | this one | HSK 1 |
| 计划 | jìhuà | plan; to plan | HSK 4 |
Common mistakes
-
✗未必他知道。
✓他未必知道。
未必 goes after the subject.
-
✗他未必不知道。（meaning “he doesn’t know”）
✓他不知道。/ 他未必知道。
未必不 means “it’s possible that he does”.
Check yourself
Choose the word that fills the gap.
1. 网上的消息 都是真的。
2. 他 会来，你别等了。
3. 多花钱 能解决问题。