May and must

Stage 3Grammar patterns as vocabularyChunk 29 of 32 · items 353–356 of 484

The permission and obligation ladder on one verb: may, mustn't, must, needn't.

Mix-ups

-nakute mo ii (needn't) gets mistaken for 'mustn't' (-cha dame); anchor both to one verb: kaeranakute mo ii (you don't have to go) vs kaetcha dame (you can't go).

-te mo ii

polite -te mo ii desudrama rank —none

may / it's OK to

〜てもいいPlay 〜てもいいですPlay

Attaches to the -te form to ask for or give permission (suwatte mo ii?, tabete ii yo); casual speech often drops mo.

casualPlay

mou kaette mo ii?

Can I go home now?

もう帰ってもいい？

politePlay

mou kaette mo ii desu ka?

May I go home now?

もう帰ってもいいですか？

A refusal usually comes as chotto... rather than a flat dame.

Learn alongside: -cha dame / -ja dame, -nakya, -nakute mo iiLearn first: -te, ii

-cha dame / -ja dame

polite -cha dame desu / -ja dame desudrama rank #5134*

mustn't, not allowed

〜ちゃダメ／〜じゃダメ 〜ちゃだめ／〜じゃだめPlay 〜ちゃダメです／〜じゃダメですPlay

Contracted -te wa dame, used to forbid or warn against something (sawatcha dame); verbs with -nde take -ja (nonja dame).

casualPlay

mada kaetcha dame.

You can't go home yet.

まだ帰っちゃダメ。

politePlay

mada kaetcha dame desu yo.

You can't go home yet.

まだ帰っちゃダメですよ。

-cha dame desu is the friendly version; careful speech uses -te wa dame desu, firm rules -te wa ikemasen, and requests to strangers -naide kudasai.

Learn alongside: -te mo ii, -nakya, -nakute mo iiLearn first: -te, dame

-nakya

polite -nakya ikemasendrama rank #6431*

have to, must

〜なきゃPlay 〜なきゃいけませんPlay

Attaches to the -nai stem (ikanakya) for what you've got to do; casual speech usually stops there and leaves off ikenai.

casualPlay

sorosoro kaeranakya.

I should get going home.

そろそろ帰らなきゃ。

politePlay

sorosoro kaeranakya ikemasen ne.

I'd better be getting home.

そろそろ帰らなきゃいけませんね。

-nakucha and -nai to mean the same and are heard too; -nakya is the most common.

Learn alongside: -te mo ii, -cha dame / -ja dame, -nakute mo iiLearn first: -nai

-nakute mo ii

polite -nakute mo ii desudrama rank #5814*

don't have to

〜なくてもいいPlay 〜なくてもいいですPlay

Attaches to the -nai stem to say something isn't necessary (konakute mo ii, ki ni shinakute ii); casual speech drops mo.

casualPlay

mada kaeranakute mo ii yo.

You don't have to go home yet.

まだ帰らなくてもいいよ。

politePlay

mada kaeranakute mo ii desu yo.

You don't have to go home yet.

まだ帰らなくてもいいですよ。

It's the opposite of -nakya: 'don't have to', never 'mustn't'.

Learn alongside: -te mo ii, -cha dame / -ja dame, -nakyaLearn first: -nai, -te mo ii