该 (gāi) is a Chinese character meaning “should”. It is written from 讠 (speech radical) and 亥 (the twelfth Earthly Branch), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “should; ought to”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
讠 + 亥
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·言部（該，軍中約也。从言亥聲）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 核验：8 画 = 讠 2 画 + 亥 6 画
Memory aid
The speech side (讠) is someone talking, and 亥 lends the sound — together they are the voice telling you what you should do.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 应该yīng gāishould; ought to该 = gāi
- 活该huó gāito serve someone right; deservedly so该 = gāi
Go deeper
All readings
should; ought to
should; ought to; to be one's turn; the aforementioned
表示按道理应当这样；也表示轮到某人，或指上文提到的那个。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 应该yīng gāishould; ought to该 = gāi
- 活该huó gāito serve someone right; deservedly so该 = gāi
Sound component
亥 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 该 mean?
该 (gāi) means should; ought to; to be one's turn; the aforementioned.
How do you pronounce 该?
It is pronounced gāi.
What parts is 该 made of?
讠 (speech radical) and 亥 (the twelfth Earthly Branch), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·言部（該，軍中約也。从言亥聲）；现代字形以 hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 核验：8 画 = 讠 2 画 + 亥 6 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 该 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 该?
言. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 该?
Common ones are 应该 and 活该. The reading of 该 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.