得 (dé) means "to get, obtain, to obtain" with 11 strokes, radical 彳 (step), HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: to get
Other meanings:
- obtain
- to obtain
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
Oracle bone forms show a hand (又) grasping a cowrie shell (貝), the ancient Chinese currency, depicting the acquisition of wealth. Some early forms add 彳, the step radical, suggesting going out and obtaining something. The modern form 得 retains 彳 on the left, with the right side being a heavily regularised descendant of the hand-plus-shell image.
Form evolution
Bronze forms clearly preserve the cowrie shell and hand. Seal script began simplifying the shell into a squarer shape resembling 見, and the hand became 寸. Clerical script fixed the right side as 㝵, and modern 楷书 settled on 得 with 彳 left, 日 over 一 over 寸 right; the 日 is a historical distortion of the original shell, not a sun.
How the meaning evolved
The core meaning was to obtain or acquire, which survives in 得到 and 获得. It extended to abstract gain (得益, benefit) and to the idea of something being achievable, giving the modal use 能得 and the potential complement 看得见 (able to see). A separate reading děi developed the sense of must or need to, as in 我得走了. Read de, it became the complement particle in 跑得快.
Cultural note
得 is one of the most overloaded particles in Mandarin, with three readings (dé, děi, de) carrying very different functions. Learners commonly confuse the complement 得 with the possessive 的 and the adverbial 地, all pronounced de; they were historically distinct characters with different origins and only collapsed in pronunciation.
Mnemonic
Walking at dawn with precision — to obtain
Decomposition
Breaking a character into its components makes it far easier to recall. Each component above links to its own detail page.
Basic info
| Pinyin | dé |
| Meanings | to get, obtain, to obtain |
| Stroke count | 11 strokes |
| Radical | 彳 (#60: step) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #18 most common |
Example sentences
Words containing 得
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 得 | dé | to get, obtain | HSK 2 |
| 觉得 | juéde | to feel | HSK 1 |
| 记得 | jìde | remember | HSK 2 |
| 不得不 | bùdébù | have to | HSK 4 |
| 得意 | déyì | Proud | HSK 4 |
| 得（助动词） | děi | have to | |
| 获得 | huòdé | Get | HSK 4 |
| 来得及 | láidejí | In time | HSK 4 |
| 值得 | zhídé | Worth | HSK 4 |
| 不见得 | bújiàndé | Not necessarily | HSK 7-9 |
| 怪不得 | guàibude | No wonder | HSK 7-9 |
| 舍不得 | shěbude | Hate to part with or use | HSK 5 |
| 不得了 | bùdéliǎo | Very | HSK 5 |
| 显得 | xiǎnde | Appear, seem | HSK 5 |
| 巴不得 | bābude | to be eager for | HSK 7-9 |
| 博得 | bódé | to win, to gain | |
| 不得已 | bùdéyǐ | to act against one's will | HSK 7-9 |
Related characters
Similar meaning (abstract)
On the new HSK 1 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.