得
de
HSK 2
#39 most
frequent character
"structural particle: used after a verb (or adjective as main verb), linking it to following phrase indicating effect, degree, possibility etc"
Character breakdown
Source: Make Me a Hanzi.
得 was first written 㝵, showing a hand with a shell, meaning 'to get'. Later 彳 was added to stress the action. The meaning grew to 'result', 'able', and 'appropriate'; read děi, it means 'should'.
Drawn as: hand grasping cowrie shell
得 as a component in other characters
sound1 character
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