Must and don't have to
Conjugations, Stage 1chunk 8 of 15Verb forms
Obligation, permission and prohibition, mostly built from -nai and -te.
- -nakya / -nakerebaHave to, must.
- -nakuteNot ... and; because (it's) not ...; with mo ii, don't have to.
- -te mo iiIt's OK to...; can I...?
- -cha dameMustn't, don't.
Mix-ups -nakya (have to) vs -nakute mo ii (don't have to); -cha dame (mustn't) vs -chau (did it).
-nakya / -nakereba
have toHave to, must.
Casual -nakya (or -nakucha) for what you've got to do. The full -nakereba naranai is formal.
Make it Make the -nai form, then swap nai for nakya (or nakereba): tabenakya, kawanakya, ikanakya. suru → shinakya, kuru → konakya. The 'or else' ending (ikenai, naranai) is usually dropped in speech.
Polite -nakereba narimasen
Don't mix it up with -nakute mo ii: ikanakya = I have to go; ikanakute mo ii = I don't have to go.
| taberu | tabenakya | 食べなきゃ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | minakya | 見なきゃ | |
| kau | kawanakya | 買わなきゃ | |
| matsu | matanakya | 待たなきゃ | |
| kaeru | kaeranakya | 帰らなきゃ | |
| nomu | nomanakya | 飲まなきゃ | |
| asobu | asobanakya | 遊ばなきゃ | |
| kaku | kakanakya | 書かなきゃ | |
| oyogu | oyoganakya | 泳がなきゃ | |
| hanasu | hanasanakya | 話さなきゃ | |
| iku | ikanakya | 行かなきゃ | |
| suru | shinakya | しなきゃ | |
| kuru | konakya | 来なきゃ |
yabai, mou ikanakya. mata ne
Yikes, I've got to go. See you.
やばい、もう行かなきゃ。またね。
sumimasen, mou ikanakereba narimasen
I'm sorry, I have to go now.
すみません、もう行かなければなりません。
Heard 9,945× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.44% of verbs)Main list -nakya (Stage 3)
-nakute
not, and / don't have toNot ... and; because (it's) not ...; with mo ii, don't have to.
Giving a reason something didn't work out, and with mo ii, telling someone they don't need to.
Make it Make the -nai form, then swap nai for nakute: tabenakute, kawanakute, ikanakute. suru → shinakute, kuru → konakute.
For 'please don't', use -naide, not -nakute: tabenaide (don't eat it).
| taberu | tabenakute | 食べなくて | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | minakute | 見なくて | |
| kau | kawanakute | 買わなくて | |
| matsu | matanakute | 待たなくて | |
| kaeru | kaeranakute | 帰らなくて | |
| nomu | nomanakute | 飲まなくて | |
| asobu | asobanakute | 遊ばなくて | |
| kaku | kakanakute | 書かなくて | |
| oyogu | oyoganakute | 泳がなくて | |
| hanasu | hanasanakute | 話さなくて | |
| iku | ikanakute | 行かなくて | |
| suru | shinakute | しなくて | |
| kuru | konakute | 来なくて |
kyou wa konakute mo ii yo
You don't have to come today.
今日は来なくてもいいよ。
kyou wa konakute mo ii desu yo
You don't need to come today.
今日は来なくてもいいですよ。
Heard 2,167× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.09% of verbs)
-te mo ii
may / it's OK toIt's OK to...; can I...?
Asking for permission (-te mo ii?) and giving it.
Make it te-form plus mo ii: tabete mo ii, katte mo ii, nonde mo ii. suru → shite mo ii, kuru → kite mo ii.
Polite -te mo ii desu
In speech mo often drops: tabete ii? = can I eat it?
| taberu | tabete mo ii | 食べてもいい | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | mite mo ii | 見てもいい | |
| kau | katte mo ii | 買ってもいい | |
| matsu | matte mo ii | 待ってもいい | |
| kaeru | kaette mo ii | 帰ってもいい | |
| nomu | nonde mo ii | 飲んでもいい | |
| asobu | asonde mo ii | 遊んでもいい | |
| kaku | kaite mo ii | 書いてもいい | |
| oyogu | oyoide mo ii | 泳いでもいい | |
| hanasu | hanashite mo ii | 話してもいい | |
| iku | itte mo ii | 行ってもいい | |
| suru | shite mo ii | してもいい | |
| kuru | kite mo ii | 来てもいい |
kore, tabete mo ii?
Can I eat this?
これ、食べてもいい？
kore, tabete mo ii desu ka?
May I eat this?
これ、食べてもいいですか？
Heard 2,369× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.10% of verbs)Main list -te mo ii (Stage 3)
-cha dame
mustn'tMustn't, don't.
Casual 'you can't do that', often to children or close friends.
Make it It's -te wa squeezed together: -te → -cha, -de → -ja, then add dame: tabecha dame, katcha dame, nonja dame. suru → shicha dame, kuru → kicha dame.
Polite -te wa ikemasen
Don't confuse it with -chau (did, often by accident): tabechatta = I ate it all; tabecha dame = don't eat it.
| taberu | tabecha dame | 食べちゃだめ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miru | micha dame | 見ちゃだめ | |
| kau | katcha dame | 買っちゃだめ | |
| matsu | matcha dame | 待っちゃだめ | |
| kaeru | kaetcha dame | 帰っちゃだめ | |
| nomu | nonja dame | 飲んじゃだめ | |
| asobu | asonja dame | 遊んじゃだめ | |
| kaku | kaicha dame | 書いちゃだめ | |
| oyogu | oyoija dame | 泳いじゃだめ | |
| hanasu | hanashicha dame | 話しちゃだめ | |
| iku | itcha dame | 行っちゃだめ | |
| suru | shicha dame | しちゃだめ | |
| kuru | kicha dame | 来ちゃだめ |
koko de shashin totcha dame da yo
You can't take photos here.
ここで写真撮っちゃだめだよ。
koko de shashin o totte wa ikemasen
You mustn't take photos here.
ここで写真を撮ってはいけません。
Heard 1,790× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles (0.08% of verbs)Main list -cha dame / -ja dame (Stage 3)