EXPRESSING OBLIGATIONS AND PROHIBITIONS

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Expressing obligations and prohibitions

46.1Expressing obligations

46.1.1Expressing strong obligations: must

Here are the words used to express ‘strong obligations’ in Mandarin with sentences illustrating their use. All of these words can be translated with the English ‘must.’

dLi

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Míngtipn nm dLi zko dikr qmlái.

You have to get up earlier tomorrow morning.

bìdLi

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Nm bìdLi ànshí lái shàng kè.

You must come to class on time.

/ bìxT

!"#$%&'()*!"#$%&'()*

Qù Zhsngguó ymqián nm bìxT shqnqmng qipnzhèng.

Before you go to China you must apply for a visa.

bìdli and / bìxt are more formal and stronger than dli. / bìxt is also used in legal pronouncements and in other formal spoken and written contexts.

!"#$%&'()*+++,-"./$01234+!"#$%&'()*+++,-"./$01234+

Jrngjì hétóng yòng huòbì luxíng yìwù shí, . . . bìxT yòng rénmínbì jìsuàn hé zhrfù.

When economic contracts provide for the performance of obligations through money, . . . Rénminbi must be used for calculating and paying obligations.

Í12.4.1

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46.1.2Expressing ‘weak’ social and moral obligations: should, shall, ought to

Here are the words used in Mandarin to express the kind of ‘weak obligations’ associated with the English words ‘should’ and ‘ought to’ with sentences illustrating their use. In Mandarin, these words are also used to express moral obligations such as the responsibilities of parents to children or children to parents, and social obligations involving the things that a good person should do.

/ yrngdpng is more formal than / yrnggpi and can be used in formal texts including legal documents. / gpi is used in informal speech. / yrng is used in formal texts including legal documents.

/ yRnggPi

!"#$%&'()!"#$%&'()

Fùmo yRnggPi zhàogù tpmen de háizi.

Parents should take care of their children.

/ yRngdPng

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Nm ynu cuòwù jiù yRngdPng gkizhèng.

When you make a mistake, you should correct it.

/ gPi

!"#$!"#$

Wn gPi qù shàngbpn le.

I should go to work.

In legal documents, / yrng often means shall.

!"#$%&'()*+,-. !/01234(56789:;!"#$%&'()*+,-. !/01234(56789:;

Jrngjì hétóng bèi quèrèn wúxiào hòu, dpngshìrén yrjù gpi hétong sun qo dé de cáichkn, yìng fknhuán gli duìfpng.

After an economic contract has been confirmed to be invalid, the parties shall return to each other any property that they have acquired pursuant to the contract.

/ yìng may occur in legal texts to specify moral, though non-legal obligations. The following is an excerpt from Section 1, Article 3, of the Child Welfare Law of Taiwan.

! "#$%&'()*+,-./01! "#$%&'()*+,-./01

Fùmo, ykng fùmo huò jipnhù rén duì qí értóng yìng fù bkoyù zhr zérèn.

Parents, foster parents, or legal guardians should bear the responsibility of rearing the children in the household.

Í12.4.2

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46.1.3Expressing negative obligations: need not, do not have to

The Mandarin words used to indicate that an action need not be done are bù bì,

bù yòng, béng, / bù xt, and / wú xt.

bù bì

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Tpmen míngtipn bù bì lái shàng kè.

They don’t have to come to class tomorrow.

bù yòng

!"#!$#!"#!$#

Nm bù yòng xiè wn. Xiè tp.

You don’t have to thank me. Thank her.

béng

béng is the contraction of bù yòng. It is used in informal speech.

!"#$%&'()*%!"#$%&'()*%

Wnmen dsu shì zìjm rén. Béng nàme kèqi.

We are all friends. You don’t have to be so polite.

/ bù xT

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Qù Zhsngguó ymqián bù xt dk zhqn.

Before going to China it is not necessary to get vaccinations.

/ wú xT

!"#$%&'(!"#$%&'(

Zhè jiàn shì wú xt gàosu nm fùmo.

There is no need to tell your parents about this matter. (As for this matter, there is no need to tell your parents.)

46.1.4Asking questions about obligations

To ask if there is an obligation to do something, use a yes–no question. / ma questions can be used with all obligation words.

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Wnmen dli kàn nà bln sht ma?

Do we have to read that book?

/ yrnggpi and / yrngdpng can also occur in verb-not-verb questions.

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! "#$%&! "#$%&

Wn yrnggpi bù yrnggpi gli tp dàoqiàn?

Do I have to apologize to him?

/ !"#$%! "#$%&

Wn yrngdpng bù yrngdpng gli tp dàoqiàn?

Should I apologize to him?

dli, bìdli, and / bìxt cannot occur in verb-not-verb questions.

Í24.1.2

46.2Expressing prohibitions: must not, should not

46.2.1Expressing strong prohibitions: must not

The words used to express strong prohibitions in Mandarin are / bù xo ‘must not,’ bù yào ‘don’t,’ and bié ‘don’t.’

!"#$%!"#$%

Yryuàn lm bù xo chsu ypn.

Smoking is not permitted in the hospital.

!"!"

Bié kpi wánxiào.

Don’t joke. (Be serious.)

!"#$%&!"#$%&

Kkoshì ymqián bù yào jmnzhpng.

Before a test don’t be nervous.

Í12.5

46.2.2Expressing weak prohibitions: should not

The Mandarin words used to indicate that an action should not be done are /

bù yrnggpi and / bù yrngdpng.

!/ !"!/ !"

Nm bù yrnggpi/yrngdpng dk rén.

You shouldn’t hit people.

/ bù yrnggpi ‘should not’ and / bù yrngdpng ‘should not’ sometimes carry negative expectations. Both of the following sentences can be used after the fact, when we have seen that the medicine had side effects, or that Zhang San is a bad person.

325

!"#$%&'()!"#$%&'()

Zhège yào bù yrnggpi ynu fù zuòyòng a.

This drug is not supposed to have any side effects.

!"#$%&'!"#$%&'

Zhpng Spn bù yrnggpi shì huài rén a.

Zhang San is not supposed to be a bad person.

46.2.3Formal written words that specify prohibited activities

Here are some commonly used expressions in formal written texts that indicate prohibited activities. They are always followed by a verb phrase.

Here are the texts of actual signs posted in Chinese cities indicating prohibited activities. They illustrate the use of formal written words for prohibitions.

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