Japanese Verbs Eight

With this Japanese Verbs Eight, of the learn Japanese series, we will look at how to express the idea of  "have to do" or "must do." This is done by adding "nakereba naranai" to the verb's stem.

For those verbs that end in "u," use the negative stem. Otherwise, use the regular stem.

Basically, take the verb stem and then just add the ending …nakereba naranai.

For example, the verb yomu, which means to read:

Negative verb stem = yoma. Now add "nakereba naranai," which becomes yomanakereba naranai.


In order to do this with all verbs, let's first recap on Japanese verbs

There are three types of verb:

  1. irregular verbs, of which there are only two.
  2. The verbs that end in "u." 
  3. Those that end in "ru."


To make it easier I will arrange the verb in its various forms

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+nakereba naranai"     Kanji/Kana

Kuru       ko           konakereba naranai          なければならない

Suru       shi          shinakereba naranai          しなければならない

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru        mi          minakereba naranai            なければならない

Taberu    tabe        tabenakereba naranai      食べなければならない

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu     kata         katanakereba naranai       勝たなければならない

Yomu     yoma        yomanakereba naranai      読まなければならない

Modoru  modora      modoranakereba naranai 戻らなければならない

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular.  However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

After the word list are a few examples:

自転車 = ji ten sha = bycycle.   新しい = atara shii = new

買 = ka. Dictionary form = kau = to buy.

日本の = ni hon no = Japanese. 料理 = ryou ri = food

生徒さん = sei to san = student(s). 英語 = ei go = English.

今学期 = kon gak ki = this term.  

勉強する = ben kyou suru = to study.


Jill must buy a new bicycle. 

   ジルは新しい自転車を買わなければなりません。         

Kana must eat Japanese food.

   カナは日本の料理を食べなければなりません。 

The students must study English this term.

   生徒さんは今学期英語を勉強しなければなりません。 


Let's use this construction in the past tense

Plain Form   Verb Stem   "+nakereba naranakatta   Kanji/Kana

Kuru  ko      konakereba naranakatta           なければならかった

Suru  shi        shinakereba naranakatta         なければならかった

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru     mi      minakereba naranakatta       なければならかった

Taberu  tabe   tabenakereba naranakatta   食べなければならかった

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu  kata   katanakereba naranakatta    勝たなければならかった

Yomu  yoma  yomanakereba naranakatta     読まなければならかった

Modoru modora modoranakereba naranakatta なければならなかった

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular.  However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

After the word list are a few examples:

自転車 = ji ten sha = bycycle.       使う = tsukau = to use.

買 = ka. Dictionary form = kau = to buy.

クレヂトカード = crejito ca-do = credit card 

夕食をとる yuu shoku o toru = eat dinner  たくさん = takusan = a lot of

 ビール = beer  生徒さん = sei to san = student(s) 

毎日 mai nichi = every day  許可なく = kyo ka naku= without permission 

先生の = sen sei no = teacher's  新聞 = shin bun = newspaper 


Jill had to buy a new bicycle. 

   ジルは新しい自転車を買わなければなりませんでした。        

Kana had to eat Japanese food.

   カナは日本の料理を食べなければなりませんでした。

The students had to study English last term.

   生徒さんは前期英語を勉強しなければなりませんでした。


Now let's learn how to say one "must not do something."

Plain Form   Verb "te" form   "+tewa naranai" form   Kanji/Kana

Kuru         kite           kite wa naranai            てはならない

Suru         shite         shite wa naranai           してはならない

Verbs that end in "ru:"

Miru         mite          mite wa naranai           てはならない

Taberu    tabete        tabete wa naranai         食べてはならない

Verbs that end in "u:"

Katsu      katte         katte wa naranai           ってはならない

Yomu       yonde       yonde wa naranai          読んではならない

Modoru    modotte     modotte wa naranai       どってはならない

Beware of the "u" form, they are not supposed to be irregular.  However, the way they change is sometimes not what you would expect. Most verbs that end in "ru" behave like "taberu," but not all.

After the word list are a few examples:

自転車 = ji ten sha = bycycle.       使う = tsukau = to use.

買 = ka. Dictionary form = kau = to buy.

クレヂトカード = crejito ca-do = credit card 

夕食をとる yuu shoku o toru = eat dinner  たくさん = takusan = a lot of

 ビール = beer  生徒さん = sei to san = student(s) 

毎日 mai nichi = every day  許可なく = kyo ka naku= without permission 

先生の = sen sei no = teacher's  新聞 = shin bun = newspaper 


Jill must not buy an expensive bicycle. 

   ジルは高い自転車を買ってはなりません。        

Kana must not eat candy.

   カナはキャンデイーを食べてはなりません。

The students must not talk in class.

   生徒さんは授業中喋ってはなりません。


Practice

Basic Japanese vocabulary for the below exercise.

It's written first in English, then kanji and finally hiragana:

Now = 今 = いま return = 帰る = かえる someone = = ひと

to employ = 雇う = やとう she = 彼女 = かのじょ 

safety = 安全 = あんぜん belt = ベルト to attach = 付ける = つける

every morning = 毎朝 = まいあさ beard = ひげ to shave = 剃る そる

7 o'clock = 七時 = しちじ by = までに tomorrow = 明日 = あした

he = 彼 = かれ to meet = 会う = あう this morning = 今朝 けさ

early = 早く = はやく to get up = 起きる = おきる week = 週 しゅう 

twice = 二回 = にかい hospital = 病院 = びょういん to go = 行く = いく

to drive = 運転する = うんてんする father = お父さん = おとうさん

that kind of = あんな to speak =口聞く = くちきく

be in a hurry = 急ぐ = いそぐ to understand = 分かる = わかる 

to have someone ... = もらう message = 伝言 = でんごん

three times = 三 度 = さんど to say = 言う = いう


Try to translate English to Japanese for the below sentences, using the above list of words.

1. Bill must go home now.

2. You will have to(must) employ someone.

3. She had to wear a safety belt.

4. You must shave every day.

5. Must I come by 7 o'clock?

6. She will have to meet him tomorrow.

7. He had to get up early this morning.

8. He must go to the hospital twice a week.

9. You must not drive fast.

10. You must not speak to your father like that.

11. I'm in a hurry and must leave right now.

12.He had to say the message three times before she understood it.


Once you have done it, click here to see how you did.

Now, do it again and again until you are perfect and fast.

You will also come across other slightly different constructions:

...nakute wa narimasen

...neba naranai

...nakereba ikemasen.

For example:

Kanojo wa anshin beruto o tsukeneba naranai.

Kanojo wa anshin beruto o tsukenakute wa naranai.

Kanojo wa anshin beruto o tsukenakute wa ikemasen.

Also notice another construction for "to have someone do something" in the special use of the verb morau and its rather more polite itadaku.

For example:

Sumisu-san ni kaite itadakimasu ka?

Would you please write to Mr Smith?


Reminder!

The only way to remember all this in Japanese Verbs Eight is to practice it on a regular basis.

The best way to do this is:

  1. Come back to this page regularly and check yourself on the above 12 Japanese phrases.
  2. Write an example of each of the tenses in a small note book, so as to practice them when you have nothing to do, like waiting for a bus.
  3. Learn Japanese kanji by also writing the above kanji in a separate notebook and practicing these on a regular basis too.

Back to the Japanese words page