Be sure to: requests and reminders with 务必
务必 means “without fail” and is used to ask or remind someone to do something, very often after 请. It is an adverb between the subject and the verb. It looks like 未必 (“not necessarily”) but means almost the opposite.
Structure
（请）+ 主语 + 务必 + 动词短语 ｜ 请务必 + 动词短语
Explanation
Chinese words in this text can be activated to show a dictionary gloss.
places a firm requirement on the listener: this must be done, and done properly. It belongs to instructions, notices and serious personal requests: “Please be sure to hand in the documents before Friday.” ，.
It is an adverb, so it stands after the subject and before the verb phrase. With the subject is often left out (…), or placed after (…). It does not open a sentence on its own ahead of the subject: is an error. is also common, and the negative form is or .
Because is addressed to someone who still has to act, it cannot describe what already happened. ， is wrong; the past fact is simply .
The most frequent confusion is with , which looks alike and means “not necessarily”: “What he says isn’t necessarily true.” Replacing by there produces nonsense. is close in meaning to but describes necessity in general, including rules (), while is a request aimed at a particular listener.
Correct
Say each one out loud before moving on. The audio is a reference pronunciation, not a model to imitate exactly — match the tone contour, not the voice.
请务必在周五以前把材料交上来。請務必在週五以前把材料交上來。
Qǐng (third tone, dipping) wùbì (fourth tone, falling) zài (fourth tone, falling) zhōuwǔ (first tone, high and level) yǐqián (third tone, dipping) bǎ (third tone, dipping) cáiliào (second tone, rising) jiāo (first tone, high and level) shànglái. (fourth tone, falling)···
Please be sure to hand in the documents before Friday.
出国旅行的时候，务必带好护照。出國旅行的時候，務必帶好護照。
Chūguó (first tone, high and level) lǚxíng (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) shíhou, (second tone, rising) wùbì (fourth tone, falling) dài (fourth tone, falling) hǎo (third tone, dipping) hùzhào. (fourth tone, falling)···
When travelling abroad, make sure you have your passport.
这件事很重要，你务必亲自去一趟。這件事很重要，你務必親自去一趟。
Zhè (fourth tone, falling) jiàn (fourth tone, falling) shì (fourth tone, falling) hěn (third tone, dipping) zhòngyào, (fourth tone, falling) nǐ (third tone, dipping) wùbì (fourth tone, falling) qīnzì (first tone, high and level) qù (fourth tone, falling) yí (second tone, rising) tàng. (fourth tone, falling)···
This matters a great deal — you must go in person.
Incorrect — Common mistakes
These sentences are wrong. They are printed here on purpose, each one paired with the repair and the reason, because the error you can recognise is the error you stop making.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 务必你明天早点儿来。
Correct
Correct sentence: 你明天务必早点儿来。
Why: 务必 is an adverb and follows the subject. With 请 you can also say 请你明天务必早点儿来.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 他说的话务必是真的。
Correct
Correct sentence: 他说的话未必是真的。
Why: “Not necessarily true” is 未必. 务必 is a request and cannot express doubt.
Not quite
Incorrect sentence: 上次开会，他务必准时到了。
Correct
Correct sentence: 上次开会，他准时到了。
Why: 务必 asks for something still to be done. A past fact needs no 务必.
Compared with
Most errors with this pattern are not errors about this pattern — they are a neighbouring pattern arriving at the wrong moment. Read these side by side.
可以, 能 and 会 describe ability, permission and likelihood — what is possible. 务必 describes what is required of the listener. In a notice, 可以 tells readers what they may do and 务必 tells them what they must not fail to do: 请务必准时到达，迟到者不能参加考试.
Saying “can”: 会, 能 and 可以 →Mini quiz
Question 1 / 3Total score: 0
Choose the word for the gap.
明天的会议很重要，请大家 ___ 准时参加。