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How to write 得 (dé, “to obtain”)

得, an HSK 1 character, is read dé for “to obtain” and “to get”, and also de (“structural particle”) and děi (“to have to”). As a left-right character it splits into 彳 (“step”, the radical), strokes 1–3; 旦寸, strokes 4–11, written the left part first. With 11 strokes it is one of the longest to write at HSK 1. On its own it is an HSK 2 word; it also forms 觉得 (“to think that ...”), 记得 (“to remember”) and 得分 (“to score a point”). Japanese reads it toku, “gain”, as a JLPT N3 kanji.

Pinyin
dé, de, děi
Strokes
11
HSK
1
Radical
彳 (“step”)

Stroke by stroke

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  1. top leftdown and right → down and left
  2. top leftdown and left
  3. leftdownwards
  4. topdownwards
  5. toprightwards → downwards
  6. toprightwards
  7. toprightwards
  8. centerrightwards
  9. leftrightwards
  10. rightdownwards → leftwards
  11. centerdown and right

Names of the strokes

Japanese and Chinese

The two models differ in shape, so our comparison does not claim an order; compare the numbered frames yourself (11 strokes in Japanese, 11 strokes in Chinese).

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Japanese · KanjiVG · 11 strokes
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Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 11 strokes

Trace it

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Pinyin and meaning

PinyinMeaningsTraditionalIn words
dé
second tone		to obtain; to get; to gain; to catch (a disease); proper—得分 得到 不得不 得意
de
neutral tone		structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility etc—觉得 记得 认得 懂得
děi
third tone		to have to; must; ought to; to need to——
HSK 2025 syllabus
level 1
2021 standard
level 1
HSK 2.0
in a level 2 word
Words with it
289 in CC-CEDICT

Words with 得

WordPinyinMeaning
得destructural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb)… HSK 2
觉得 覺得juédeto think that ...; to feel that ... HSK 1
记得 記得jìdeto remember HSK 2
得分défēnto score a point; score HSK 3
得到dédàoto get; to obtain HSK 3
认得 認得rèndeto recognize; to remember sth (or sb) on seeing it HSK 3
懂得dǒngdeto understand; to know HSK 3
不得不bùdébùhave no choice or option but to; cannot but HSK 4
得意déyìproud of oneself; pleased with oneself HSK 4
值得zhídéworth the money; to merit HSK 4

HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).

Practice sheet

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Keep going

HSK 1, in list order: