Obligation & Prohibition

Must do ~ / Must not ~ / Don't ~

'You must submit this by Friday.' 'No running!' 'Eat your vegetables!' Japanese has multiple ways to express obligation and prohibition — from polite to direct.

What you'll learn

• 〜なければいけない / 〜なければならない: must do ~
• 〜ないといけない: must do ~ (colloquial)
• 〜てはいけない: must not ~ | 辞書形＋な: Don't ~! | 〜なさい: polite command

JLPT N4 Japanese self-study — interactive practice, instant feedback, completely free.