Loading ...Learn How to Express Obligation in Japanese - Must Do or Must Not Do
In English, whenever we have an obligation, we usually tell someone that we must do something, . That’s an easy way to say it like example “I must go now”. Short, direct and easy to understand. But in Japanese, it takes a different approach. More like turning the tables around instead. Let’s find out.
Learn how to say “must” in Japanese
The Japanese prefer to take the softer, less direct approach. Can be a little hard to understand in the beginning for new Japanese learners. It goes like “If I don’t go now, I won’t make it”. Its much longer and less direct isn’t it? It is recommended that you know how to change a verb into a -nai form and learn how to change an adjective into a -ba form first before proceeding. Let’s take a look at an example.
いかなければ なりません - Must go
The expression above would literally be translated to “if don’t go, don’t become”. It does not make sense in English, but that is what it make sense in Japanese. いく which means “to go” should first be change into a -nai form. And then the -nai ない form should be change into a -ba ば form.
いく becomes いかない becomes いかなければ
Once you know how to change into the negative assumption form, the next thing you should do is add the なりません after it. Or to sound casual, add ならない instead. Take note that なりませんand ならない is the negative form of なる.
So more examples below.
たべなければ なりません - Must eat
かかなければ なりません - Must write
たたかわなければ なりません - Must fight
Another way of saying “must go” is to replace “narimasen” なりません with “ikemasen” いけません or “ikenai” いけない. Take note that いけません or いけない is the negative form of いける which means “can go” In this case, the example below would literally mean “If you don’t eat, you cannot go”. Makes no sense, but its just part of the Japanese language rules 
たべなければ いけません - Must eat
かかなければ いけません - Must write
たたかわなければ いけません - Must fight
Japanese can be complicating for beginners, you might want to choose one way of saying first and get use to it, then learn the rest of the same meaning. The いかなければ なりません could be good tongue twister for Japanese beginners. Try saying it quickly.
Colloquial way of saying “must” in Japanese
Simply drop the ければ and replace it with きゃ. And always use いけない after it. It won’t be colloquial if you were to use いけません instead. Because its in the polite form. So as an example, you will get いかなきゃ いけない - Must go
Learn how to say “must not” in Japanese
Do you still remember how to change verbs into -te form? Here is a quick revision for you.
たべる becomes たべて
いく becomes いって
する becomes して
So here is an example of how to say “must not” in Japanese
たべては いけない - must not eat
いっては いけない - must not go
しては いけない - must not do
Simply change the verb into a -te form first than add a wa は after it and follow by the いけない or いけません.Take note that は is pronounce as “wa”.
Well, you have come to the end of today’s post. If you still not too familiar with today’s post it is recommended that you read it again. I will introduce and explain complicating Japanese sentences in future, therefore it is best to have a good understanding of all the forms and common uses in Japanese.
Have fun learning Japanese.
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