务必

• Pinyin: wù bì
• Hanzi breakdown: 务 = 攵 + 力 (action + strength — obliged effort, duty); 必 = 心 + 丿 (heart with a stroke — certainty, must)

Meaning

Must; be sure to; without fail. Emphasises that something is obligatory and must be done.

Stronger than 一定 and 必须 in conveying urgency and non-negotiability. Common in official communications, military orders, and earnest personal requests. Signals that failure to comply is unacceptable.

Examples

1. 主任在会前再三叮嘱，参与谈判的代表务必严守外交礼仪，切忌言行失当。 Before the meeting, the director repeatedly reminded them that the delegates in the negotiations must strictly observe diplomatic protocol and must not speak or act improperly.
2. 医生郑重告知，术后患者务必遵医嘱按时服药，否则可能引发严重并发症。 The doctor solemnly warned that after surgery, the patient must take the medication on time as directed, or serious complications could occur.
3. 工程项目经理强调，施工队伍务必在台风登陆前完成所有外墙加固工作。 The project manager emphasized that the construction team must complete all exterior-wall reinforcement work before the typhoon makes landfall.

Usage Guide

Context: official instructions, medical advice, military, project management, earnest requests

Tone: urgent

Do Say

• 总指挥在出发前再次强调，所有救援小组务必在指定时间内抵达集结地点，任何延误都将直接影响整体救援方案的推进，后果不堪设想。(The commander-in-chief emphasised once more before departure that all rescue teams must arrive at the assembly point within the designated time — any delay would directly affect the advancement of the overall rescue plan, with unthinkable consequences.)
• 各部门负责人务必在本季度末提交完整的风险评估报告，供董事会制定预算时参考。(Heads of all departments must submit complete risk assessment reports by the end of this quarter for the board to use when making the budget.)

Don't Say

• 务必 interchangeably with 必须 in all contexts — 务必 is a directive from the speaker to the listener urging action, while 必须 states a logical or institutional necessity; 务必 carries a stronger tone of personal appeal or command

Origin & History

务 (must, be obliged to) + 必 (certainly, necessarily) — together conveying strong obligation

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal