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Weaker obligation: had better

Meaning​

We use had better to give strong advice, or to tell people what to do (including ourselves).

  • You’d better turn that music down before your dad gets angry.
  • It’s seven o’clock. I’d better put the meat in the oven.

Had better refers to the immediate future. It is more urgent than should or ought. Compare:

  • ‘I really ought to go and see Fred one of these days.’ ‘Well, you’d better do it soon – he’s leaving for South Africa at the end of the month.’

Had better is not used in polite requests. Compare:

  • Could you help me, if you’ve got time? (request)
  • You’d better help me. If you don’t, there’ll be trouble. (order/threat)

Forms​

Had better refers to the immediate future, but the form is always past (have better is impossible). After had better we use the infinitive without to.

  • It’s late – you had better hurry up. (not … you have better …) or … you had better hurrying / to hurry …

We normally make the negative with had better not + infinitive.

  • You’d better not wake me up when you come in. (You hadn’t better wake me … is possible in British English but very unusual.)

A negative interrogative form Hadn’t … better …? is possible.

  • Hadn’t we better tell him the truth?

Normal unemphatic short answer forms are as follows:

  • ‘Shall I put my clothes away?’ ‘You’d better!’
  • ‘He says he won’t tell anybody.’ ‘He’d better not.’

Had (’d) is sometimes dropped in very informal speech.

  • You better go now.
  • I better try again later.