非…不可 fēi…bùkě

非…不可（fēi…bùkě）means “'must / simply have to / bound to' — 非 + VP + 不可”. 非…不可 is an emphatic double negative (literally 'not… won't do') expressing strong necessity, firm determination, or inevitability. Formation: 非 + 动词短语 + 不可（必然/决心，非…不行）

'must / simply have to / bound to' — 非 + VP + 不可

HSK5

Formation

非 + 动词短语 + 不可（必然/决心，非…不行）

Explanation

非…不可 is an emphatic double negative (literally 'not… won't do') expressing strong necessity, firm determination, or inevitability. 非去不可 means 'simply must go / won't do not to go'. It can show the speaker's resolve (我非学会不可 'I'm determined to master it') or an objective certainty (再不休息，非病倒不可 'if you don't rest, you're bound to fall ill'). 不可 can be replaced by 不行/不成 with the same force.

Examples

这件事我 非弄清楚不可。
zhè jiàn shì wǒ fēi nòng qīngchu bùkě.
I simply must get to the bottom of this.
再不睡觉，明天 非迟到不可。
zài bú shuìjiào, míngtiān fēi chídào bùkě.
If you still don't sleep, you're bound to be late tomorrow.

Note

Double negative = strong affirmation. 不可 ↔ 不行/不成. 非 here means 'if not', not 'wrong'; read fēi.

FAQ

非…不可 — what does it mean and how is it used?

'must / simply have to / bound to' — 非 + VP + 不可. 非…不可 is an emphatic double negative (literally 'not… won't do') expressing strong necessity, firm determination, or inevitability. 非去不可 means 'simply must go / won't do not to go'. It can show the speaker's resolve (我非学会不可 'I'm determined to master it') or an objective certainty (再不休息，非病倒不可 'if you don't rest, you're bound to fall ill'). 不可 can be replaced by 不行/不成 with the same force.

非…不可 — how do you form it?

非 + 动词短语 + 不可（必然/决心，非…不行）

非…不可 — any usage notes?

Double negative = strong affirmation. 不可 ↔ 不行/不成. 非 here means 'if not', not 'wrong'; read fēi.

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