HSK 4

说什么/怎么(着)也得X

shuō shén me / zěn me ( zhe ) yě děi X

Structure emphasizing the obligation to do X

Explanation

This is an emphatic structure stressing OBLIGATION: no matter the reason or circumstance, you must definitely do action X, close to the meaning "no matter what, you have to...".

Structure

说什么 (shuō shénme, no matter what is said) or 怎么(着) (zěnme(zhe), no matter how) + 也得 (yě děi, still must) + verb X.

Example

说什么也得去看看他 no matter what, I have to go visit him; 怎么也得来一下儿 no matter what, you have to come for a bit. Note that 得 here is read děi, meaning "must".

When to use

when expressing high determination or an unavoidable compelling situation, that no matter what obstacle arises you will still carry it out; it has a strong colloquial nuance.

Common mistakes

misreading 得 as de or dé (here it must be děi = must); and machine-translating 说什么 as "say what" — actually 说什么 here is an idiom "no matter what is said, whatever happens", not a real question.

Examples

他生病了,我说什么也得去看看他。
shēngbìngleshuōshénmeděikànkàn

He is sick, so no matter what, I have to go visit him for a bit.

这么重要的活动,你怎么也得来一下儿。
zhèmezhòngyàodehuódòngzěnmeděiláixiàr

For such an important event, no matter what, you have to come for a moment.

没时间了,说什么也得走了。
méishíjiānleshuōshénmeděizǒule

Time is up; no matter what, I have to go now.

Practice

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Learn “说什么/怎么(着)也得X” effectively

The grammar point “说什么/怎么(着)也得X” (Structure emphasizing the obligation to do X) is one of the key structures at HSK 4. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.

Study tip: read the examples aloud many times to build a natural reflex. Then try making your own sentences for your own situations. Use the audio button to hear and practice accurate pronunciation.

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