CERTAIN    必定

TRUE AND NOT being DOUBTED.
UNQUESTIONABLESUREDEFINITEBEYOND QUESTIONNOT IN DOUBTINDUBITABLEUNDENIABLEIRREFUTABLEINDISPUTABLEOBVIOUSEVIDENTRECOGNIZEDCONFIRMEDACCEPTEDACKNOWLEDGEDUNDISPUTEDUNDOUBTEDUNQUESTIONED
Old Chinese Criteria
1. The current word for certainty of any kind is bì 必, but the word can also refer to logical necessity. 2. Bù miǎn 不免 (ant. wèi bì 未必 "not necessarily") refers to factual inevitabity or invariability rather than logical necessity. 3. Yì 亦 and bù yì 不亦 are both very different from bì 必 in that they do not assert necessity but only indubitable factual truth.
Modern Chinese Criteria
必然 決然 自然 勢必 必將 必定 肯定 一定 準定 定 必 得 總 準 一準 定準 遲早 早晚 決計無疑問 大勢所趨 rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／
Hyponym
  • NECESSITY　CERTAIN AND CAUSING ONE NOT to be ABLE to IMAGINE it being NOT TRUE. (anc: 9/0, child: 1)
Antonym
  • DOUBTAWARE that one does NOT KNOW OR UNDERSTAND something.
Hypernym
  • TRUE　EXIST CONFORMing to SPEAK(what is claimed). (BE AS SAID(asserted))[[NB: the subject of this syntactic predicate is the situation identified in the "sentence" of which this syntactic predicate is predicated. "God made Heaven and Earth" is TRUE iff the situation identified in this sentence (the creation of Heaven and Earth by God) EXISTS(i.e. occurred).] (anc: 7/0, child: 5)
  • EXIST　BE-IN the UNIVERSE of SPACE AND TIME. (anc: 6/0, child: 5)
  • BE IN　RELATION between a THING AND what that THING FILLS OR PART:partially FILLS. (anc: 5/0, child: 7)
  • A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages ( BUCK 1988) p. 17.37

  • Vocabulaire européen des philosophies. Dictionnaire des intraduisibles ( CASSIN 2004) p. 215

    CERTITUDE

  • “荀子”單音節形容詞同義關係研究 ( HUANG XIAODONG 2003) p. 157

  • Using Chinese Synonyms ( GRACE ZHANG 2010) p. 340

  • Chinese Synonyms Usage Dictionary ( TENG SHOU-HSIN 1996) p. 45

  • SYNONYMES FRANÇOIS, LEURS DIFFÉRENTES SIGNIFICATIONS, ET LE CHOIX QU'IL EN FAUT FAIRE Pour parler avec justesse ( GIRARD 1769) p. 1.59.43/4

    ASSURER.CONFIRMER; CERTAIN.SUR.ASSURE

    • Words (39 items)

    必  bì OC: piɡ MC: pit 220 Attributions

    The current word for certainty of any kind is bì 必, but the word can also refer to logical necessity.

      Syntactic words
    • vadN{{PRED}be certain (to be N)
    • vadVinvariably; inevitably; reliably, with inevitable reliabilty; (know) for certain; will by the very nature of things
    • vibe inevitable, be absolutely predictable, be unavoidable, be ineluctable
    • vipsychologicalbe sure of what one is doingCH
    • vt+V[0]be sure to V
    • vtoNcausativemake inevitable
    • vtoNputativeconsider as necessary
    亦  yì OC: k-laɡ MC: jiɛk 107 Attributions

    Yì 亦 and bù yì 不亦 are both very different from bì 必 in that they do not assert necessity but only indubitable factual truth.

      Syntactic words
    • padN{PRED}be certainly a matter of N{PRED}
    • padSbe surely because of; German: ist doch weil
    • padVemphaticsurely! (very much like German "doch"
    • padVrhetorical questionreally?　often in 不亦。。。乎
    固  gù OC: kaas MC: kuo̝ 47 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vadN{PRED}be inherently N; be definitely NCH
    • vadSnecessarily; certainly; indubitably
    • vadS1.post-S2then indubitably, then inherentlyCH
    • vadVsurely, doubtlessly; certainly; inherently
    不得不  bù dé bù OC: pɯʔ tɯɯɡ pɯʔ MC: pi̯ut tək pi̯ut 29 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPt+V[0]will certainly; inevitably will; certainly would have
    不亦  bù yì OC: pɯʔ k-laɡ MC: pi̯ut jiɛk 25 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPadV.+HU1as forming rhetorical question: surely
    已  yǐ OC: k-lɯʔ MC: jɨ 23 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • padVcertainly, definitely
    • ppostadSdefinitely, "!"
    • vadVimperative
    必將  bì jiāng OC: piɡ skaŋ MC: pit tsi̯ɐŋ 23 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPt+V[0]must necessarily, will certainly; one would certainly; one needs necessarily
    其  qí OC: ɡɯ MC: gɨ 18 Attributions

      Syntactic words
    • padN{SUBJ}.+Vit must certainly be N that V-sCH
    • padVsubjectivePRESENT: must be deemed to, be so V!, 多麼; FUTURE: will certainly!; will presumably; will according to reasonable expectations
    無乃  wú nǎi OC: ma nɯɯʔ MC: mi̯o nəi 17 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPadSrhetoricalsurely?, one is afraid
    豈不  qǐ bù MC: khj+jX pjut OC: khɯlʔ pɯʔ 17 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVcertainly, how not?CH
    信  xìn OC: sins MC: sin 15 Attributions

      Word relations
    • Ant: 疑/DOUBT The current general word for doubting or suspecting is yí 疑 (ant. xìn 信 "have faith in"), and the connotation is always negative. Contrast Latin dubito which is often used in positive senses.
    • Contrast: 必/CERTAIN The current word for certainty of any kind is bì 必, but the word can also refer to logical necessity.

      Syntactic words
    • nabfeatureinevitability, reliability
    • nabmetaphysicalthat which is certain
    • vadNcertain, predictable
    • vadVundoubtedly; reliably, really 信然
    • vi(of rewards etc) be reliable, be entirely predictable
    • vt+prep+V(0)putativebe certain that the omitted subject V-sCH
    不免  bù miǎn OC: pɯʔ mronʔ MC: pi̯ut miɛn 12 Attributions

    Bù miǎn 不免 (ant. wèi bì 未必 "not necessarily") refers to factual inevitabity or invariability rather than logical necessity.

      Syntactic words
    • VPadSinevitably
    • VPt+prep+Nbe certain to suffer N
    • VPt+V[0]cannot avoid V-ingLZ
    • VPt+V[0]{PASS}cannot avoid to be Ved
    常  cháng OC: djaŋ MC: dʑi̯ɐŋ 10 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vadNinvariant>determinate, well-defined; true
    • vadVwill regularly; constantly, predictably, invariably
    • vadVmathematical termCHEMLA 2003: with regularity across different mathematical contexts 常然之勢也 "this is the invariable constellation".
    • vibe assured in the long term
    敢不  gǎn bù OC: klaamʔ pɯʔ MC: kɑm pi̯ut 8 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPt+V[0]expected answer: no!how would I dare not to> certainly!
    不得已  bù dé yǐ OC: pɯʔ tɯɯɡ k-lɯʔ MC: pi̯ut tək jɨ 8 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPibe in a situation which leaves one no alternatives, have no other way out
    • VPi0there is no other choice
    定  dìng OC: deeŋs MC: deŋ 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vadVdefinitely; with certainty
    終  zhōng OC: tjuŋ MC: tɕuŋ 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • nadVultimately
    必當  bì dāng OC: piɡ taaŋ MC: pit tɑŋ 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPt+V[0]will inevitably [The question of this syntactic category needs discussion!]
    抑亦  yì yì OC: qɯɡ k-laɡ MC: ʔɨk jiɛk 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPadVsurelysurely; occasionally with concessive overtones
    曾不  zēng bù MC: pjut OC: tsɯɯŋ pɯʔ 3 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPadSindeed not; by no meansDS
    未免  wèi miǎn OC: mɯds mronʔ MC: mɨi miɛn 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPt+V[0]necessarily, inevitably; admittedly
    得無  dé dé de děi wú MC: tok mju OC: tɯɯɡ ma 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPtoShow could it be that not> surely!CH
    無疑  wú yí OC: ma ŋɡɯ MC: mi̯o ŋɨ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPpostadVcertainly, undoubtedly; without any doubt
    保  bǎo OC: puuʔ MC: pɑu 1 Attribution

      Word relations
    • Synon: 信/TRUE Xìn 信 (ant. zhà 詐 "fraudulent and not reliable") refers prototypically to reliablity as information.

      Syntactic words
    • vadVby garantee > certainly
    • vtoNdeclare something to be certain> guarantee
    有印章  yǒu yìn zhāng OC: ɢʷɯʔ qiŋs kjaŋ MC: ɦɨu ʔin tɕi̯ɐŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPibe guaranteed to occur, be as certain as Amen is in church
    恐  kǒng OC: khoŋʔ MC: khi̯oŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • vtoSbe afraid that > certainly will
    亦將  yì jiāng OC: k-laɡ skaŋ MC: jiɛk tsi̯ɐŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • PPadVmodalmust surely
    亦必  yì bì MC: yek pjit OC: k-laɡ piɡ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • PPadVinevitably, necessarilyLZ
    果  guǒ OC: kloolʔ MC: kʷɑ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • nadVdefinitely
    萬  wàn OC: mblans MC: mi̯ɐn 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vadVcertainly, absolutely, in every event
    固而  gù ér OC: kaas njɯ MC: kuo̝ ȵɨ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • PPadVmost certainly
    詳  xiáng OC: sɢlaŋ MC: zi̯ɐŋ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vadVOBI: necessarily, with certainty
    不免於  bù miǎn yú OC: pɯʔ mronʔ qa MC: pi̯ut miɛn ʔi̯ɤ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    應當  yīng dāng OC: qɯŋ taaŋ MC: ʔɨŋ tɑŋ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPt+V[0]necessarily will; be certain to
    乃  nǎi OC: nɯɯʔ MC: nəi 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • padVcertainly
    宜  yí OC: ŋɡral MC: ŋiɛ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vadVZUO: doubtlessly, no doubt; naturally enough
    復  fù OC: buɡ MC: buk 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vadSafter all
    • vadV.postN{SUBJ}:adSafter all, surely
      Click here to add pinyin MC:  OC: 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPtoShow could it be that not> surely!CH
    必保  bì bǎo OC: piɡ puuʔ MC: pit pɑu 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVmodalcertainly