Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 9: 8/16

なければいけないMust do, Have to do

Verb[ない]+と+いけない/ならない is also used to express duty or necessity.

Structure

Verb［ない］ + なければ + いけない
Verb［ない］ + なきゃ + いけない

Details

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    Formal

About なければいけない

Like なくてはいけない, なければいけない is a structure that implies that something 'must be done'. However, it is important to remember that this is actually a double negative, and therefore means 'If (A) is not done, it cannot go', or more simply '(A) cannot not be done'.

To make this construction, the auxiliary verb ない will need to be conjugated with ば, creating なければ (if not). After this, いけない (to not be able to go) will be added to the end.

As learned in the なきゃ lesson, なければ may be shortened to なきゃ. This structure is frequently used either with or without the added いけない.

Caution

While いけない (to not be able to go) and ならない (to not become) are quite similar, ならない will rarely be used outside of formal situations, or in writing. Due to this, いけない will be heard much more frequently in speech (when it is not omitted).

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related

Examples

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    仕事(しごと)に行(い)かなければいけない。

    I have to go to work.

    冬(ふゆ)になったら、暖房(だんぼう)をつけなければいけません。

    When winter comes, I will have to turn on the heater.

    覚(おぼ)えにくいけど、覚(おぼ)えなければいけません。

    It is difficult to remember, but I must remember.

    すごく汚(よご)れたから洗(あら)わなければいけない。

    Because it is very dirty, I must wash it.

    彼(かれ)に会(あ)いたくないけど、会(あ)わなければいけません。

    I don't want to see him, but I must (meet him).

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なければいけない – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (18 in total)

  • torpedotaiyaki

    torpedotaiyaki

    I’m also struggling with the same points Redmusashi and Stefy mentioned, i.e. XXXなければ vs XXXられなくて. I suspect I’m actually struggling with multiple grammar points on these “I must XXX” questions, such as ikenai/naranai. However, I don’t want to hazard veering off into disparate conflated grammar points. To to stay on topic, is there a difference between られなくては／なければ? e.g. Using the problem question “冬になったら、暖房を_______。”, I default to two answers, usually:

    ・ つけられなくてはなりません
    ・ つけなければいけません

    Right now I went with the former in what is little more than just a crapshoot guess. It was wrong. I’m sure later I’ll try something else for equally tenuous reasoning. Correct answer was つけなければいけません.

    It’s rather frustrating as I’m not sure if this is simply a manifestation of a personal failure (either reading comprehension, cognitive capabilities, or whatever), or an information gap in grammar covered thus far. Or – perhaps – if this is simply...

  • thelizard

    thelizard

    bunpro says it only works with verbs, I’ve encountered the ば form on adjectives in the wild a few times. Is it valid to use い-adj => いくなければいけない to express something has to be?

    可愛くなければいけない = must be cute?

  • John-Bunpro

    John-Bunpro

    This grammar point is specifically covering なければいけない when used with verbs to express obligation (i.e. ‘need to do X’), but the ば conditional is indeed more flexible than this and can be used with adjectives (both い-adjectives and な-adjectives) and nouns as well, both followed by いけない as well as other expressions.

    You can see some examples of this on the page for ば itself.

    I can, however, see the argument for pointing out in the なければいけない writeup that this pattern isn’t strictly limited to verbs. Will discuss it with the other members of the team and try to figure out how best to address this.

    Thanks for bringing this to our attention!

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