<ul>
<li><p>得 : got to / must / have to <strong>ABC</strong> <em>must</em> / <em>need</em> / <em>should be</em></p></li>
<li><p>弄清楚 : <strong>ABC</strong> <em>make clear; figure out</em></p></li>
</ul>

<p>得 is read děi when it means must/have to/need to.</p>

<p>I would translate <code>首先得弄清楚我们需要什么。</code> as:</p>

<p><em>We first need to figure out what we need.</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2015-04-24T06:09:08.440Z
2019-12-10T10:18:45.737Z
2019-12-10T10:18:45.737Z
Mou某
<p>2 words.<br/>
in this case, 得=have to, 弄=make<br/>
example:<br/>
1.我们首先得吃饭.(we have to eat first)<br/>
2.我要把这个问题弄清楚.(I gonna make this problem clear)<br/>
<br/>
and the pronunciation is "dei nong"<br/>
translation 1 is what I prefer, but 2 and 3 are also acceptable.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-05T17:45:15.667Z
2015-05-05T17:45:15.667Z
Doubble22
<p>得弄, are neither one word nor two words because they are not to be read together.</p>

<p>The sentence structure is:-</p>

<p>首先, (first and foremost),得弄清楚, (decide / work out clearly), 我们需要什么, (what is it we really need)</p>

<p>The sentence works just as well without the 得 as, in my view, it is superfluous. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-10T13:26:15.603Z
2019-12-10T14:54:32.520Z
2019-12-10T14:54:32.520Z
Wayne Cheah
<p>I have 首先<strong>得弄</strong>清楚我们需要什么。</p>

<p>I see 得弄清楚 is a fairly common combination of words. Is 得弄 one word or 2 words here? Should I read de nong or dei nong?</p>

<p>Should I translate the sentence to</p>

<ol>
<li>'First we <strong>need to</strong> find out what we need.', or rather </li>
<li>'First we <strong>should be</strong> clear about what we need.', or </li>
<li>'First we <strong>should make</strong> clear about what we need.'  </li>
</ol>

<p>Which of 1,2 or 3 do you prefer, or would you rather suggest something else?</p>

<p>I found this sentence: 希尔得弄个清楚。= Hill had to find out for certain.</p>

<grammar><meaning><expressions>
Is 得弄 one word or two in 首先得弄清楚我们需要什么?
# Is 得弄 one word or two in 首先得弄清楚我们需要什么?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-04-24)

I have 首先**得弄**清楚我们需要什么。

I see 得弄清楚 is a fairly common combination of words. Is 得弄 one word or 2 words here? Should I read de nong or dei nong?

Should I translate the sentence to

1. 'First we **need to** find out what we need.', or rather
2. 'First we **should be** clear about what we need.', or
3. 'First we **should make** clear about what we need.'

Which of 1,2 or 3 do you prefer, or would you rather suggest something else?

I found this sentence: 希尔得弄个清楚。= Hill had to find out for certain.

**Tags:** grammar, meaning, expressions


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-04-24. Score: 10

* 得 : got to / must / have to **ABC** *must* / *need* / *should be*
* 弄清楚 : **ABC** *make clear; figure out*

得 is read děi when it means must/have to/need to.

I would translate `首先得弄清楚我们需要什么。` as:

*We first need to figure out what we need.*


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### Answer by username_2 on 2015-05-05. Score: 4

2 words.  
in this case, 得=have to, 弄=make  
example:  
1.我们首先得吃饭.(we have to eat first)  
2.我要把这个问题弄清楚.(I gonna make this problem clear)  
  
and the pronunciation is "dei nong"  
translation 1 is what I prefer, but 2 and 3 are also acceptable.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2019-12-10. Score: 0

得弄, are neither one word nor two words because they are not to be read together.

The sentence structure is:-

首先, (first and foremost),得弄清楚, (decide / work out clearly), 我们需要什么, (what is it we really need)

The sentence works just as well without the 得 as, in my view, it is superfluous.


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