Activities: "Obligations and prohibitions: How to say “have to” and “must not” in Japanese?"

Let’s start with practicing forming basic obligation/need (〜なければならない/いけない) and prohibition (〜てはいけない) sentences. First, fill in the blanks on the verb table.

• Dictionary form	nai-form	te-form
  呼ぶ yobu to call; invite	ない	呼んで
  	nai	yonde
  捨てる suteru to throw away	ない
  	nai
  連れて来る tsurete kuru to bring someone	ない
  	nai
  ジョギングする jogingu suru to go for a jog	ない
  	nai

Great work! Now, turn each sentence below into both A) obligation and B) prohibition sentences according to the directions.

• 田中さんをパーティーに呼ぶ

  Tanaka san o pātii ni yobu

  to invite Mr. Tanaka to the party

  • Obligation: “You have to invite Mr. Tanaka to the party.”

    。

  • Prohibition: “You must not invite Mr. Tanaka to the party.”

    。

• 古い雑誌を捨てる

  furui zasshi o suteru

  to throw away the old magazines

  • Obligation: “You must throw away the old magazines.”

    。

  • Prohibition: “You must not throw away the old magazines.”

    。

• ジョンさんを連れて来る

  Jon san o tsurete kuru

  to bring John with you

  • Obligation: “You must bring John with you.”

    。

  • Prohibition: “You must not bring John with you.”

    。

• 明日の朝、ジョギングする

  ashita no asa, jogingu suru

  to go for a jog tomorrow morning

  • Obligation: “You must go for a jog tomorrow morning.”

    。

  • Prohibition: “You must not go for a jog tomorrow morning.”

    。

Fill each blank by choosing the most appropriate answer from the word bank. Then finish the English translation based on the complete Japanese sentence.

• 着る[kiru](to put on)

  外で遊ぶときは、セーターをなくてはいけませんよ。
  [Soto de asobu toki wa, sētā o ___ nakute wa ikemasen yo.]

  着る [kiru]

  着た [kita]

  着 [ki]

  着て [kite]

  You a sweater when you play outside.

• にぎやか[nigiyaka](lively)

  うん、やっぱりパーティーはなくちゃ。
  [Un, yappari pātii wa ___ nakucha.]

  着るにぎやか [lively]

  にぎやかに [nigiyakani]

  にぎやかな [nigiyakana]

  にぎやかで [nigiyakade]

  Yeah, a party after all.

• のむ[nomu](take (medicine))

  この薬を１日に２回なければなりませんよ。
  [Kono kusuri o ichinichi ni ni kai ___nakereba narimasen yo.]

  のむ [nomu]

  のま [noma]

  のみ [nomi]

  のんで [nonde]

  You this medicine twice a day, OK?

• する[suru](to do)

  ごめん。お母さんの手伝いをなきゃいけなかったんだ。
  [Gomen. Okāsan no tetsudai o ___nakya ikenakatta nda.]

  する [suru]

  す [su]

  し [shi]

  せ [se]

  Sorry. I my mom.

• 日本人[nihonjin](Japanese (person))

  健康保険に入るには、なければなりませんか。
  [Kenkō hoken ni hairu ni wa, ___ nakereba narimasen ka.]

  日本人 [nihonjin]

  日本人だ [nihonjin da]

  日本人の [nihonjin no]

  日本人で [nihonjin de]

  Do we in order to get health insurance?

• 持ってくる[motte kite](to bring)

  今日は何か料理をないといけなかったのかな。
  [Kyō wa nanika ryōri o ___nai to ikenakatta no kana.]

  持ってくる [motte kite]

  持ってこ [motte ko]

  持ってき [motte ki]

  持ってきた [motte kita]

  I wonder if we some dishes today.

• 背が高い[se ga takai](to be tall)

  バスケの選手になるには、なければなりませんか。
  [Basuke no senshu ni naru ni wa, ___ nakereba narimasen ka.]

  背が高い [se ga takai]

  背が高くて [se ga takakute]

  背が高 [se ga taka]

  背が高く [se ga takaku]

  Do I in order to become a basketball player?

• かむ[kamu](to chew)

  授業中にガムをはいけません。
  [Jūgyōchū ni gamu o ___ wa ikemasen.]

  かむ [kamu]

  かんだ [kanda]

  かんで [kande]

  かんて [kante]

  You gum during the class.

• 残す[nokosu](to leave (something) untouched)

  めい、野菜をはだめですよ。
  [Mei, yasai o ___ wa dame desu yo.]

  残す [nokosu]

  残さ [nokosa]

  残した [nokoshita]

  残して [nokoshite]

  Mei, you your vegetables untouched.

Read each scenario and write a sentence that expresses either obligation or prohibition. Key words are given, but you may have to change the form.

• Your parents / spouse / older siblings (choose one!) is/are working overtime today. You have to step up and cook dinner for the family. (No problem because you have been watching so many cooking shows!)

  Word Bank: 料理する[ryōri suru](to cook), 私[watashi](I), 今日[kyō](today)

  今日は。

  Sample answers:
  …私が料理しなければなりません[...watashi ga ryōri shinakereba narimasen]
  …私が料理しなくてはいけません / なりません[…watashi ga ryōri shinakute wa ikemasen / narimasen]
  …私が料理しないといけません[…watashi ga ryōri shinai to ikemasen]
  → If you are talking to yourself, you’d probably use the casual style of speech like this:
  …私 / 僕 / 俺が料理しなきゃいけない[…watashi / boku / ore ga ryōri shinakya ikenai]
  …私 / 僕 / 俺が料理しなきゃ[…watashi / boku / ore ga ryōri shinakya.]
  …私が料理しなくちゃ[…watashi ga ryōri shinakucha]

• You’ve decided to cook curry and rice (everyone’s favorite!) When you start cooking, you realize that you don’t have the box of curry roux! Luckily, there is a convenience store just around the corner from your house. You have to go buy it now.

  Word Bank: 買いに行く[kai ni iku](to go buy), カレールー[karē rū](curry roux), コンビニ[konbini](convenience store)

  コンビニに。

  Sample answers:
  カレールーを買いに行かなければなりません[karē rū o kai ni ikanakereba narimasen]
  …カレールーを買いに行かなくてはいけません / なりません[…karērū o kai ni ikanakute wa ikemasen / narimasen]
  …カレールーを買いに行かないといけない[…karērū o kaini ikanai to ikenai]
  …カレールーを買いに行かなきゃ[…karērū o kai ni ikanakya]
  …カレールーを買いに行かなくちゃ[…karērū o kai ni ikanakucha]

• After dinner, you start working on your homework / take-home work / tax return / first novel. Your younger siblings / children / nephews / nieces are making too much noise in the living room! You raise your voice to be heard and tell them they MUST NOT MAKE SO MUCH NOISE!

  Word Bank: 騒ぐ[sawagu](to make noise), そんなに[son’nani](so much)

  そんなに。

  Sample answers:
  騒いじゃだめだよ[sawaija dame da yo]
  …騒いじゃだめよ[…sawaija dame yo] (feminine style)
  …騒いじゃいけないよ[…sawaija ikenai yo]
  …騒いではいけないよ[…sawaide wa ikenai yo]
  

  Note: Since you are directly talking to the children under your care, it’s more natural to use the casual style of speech. Remember, when the dictionary form of u-verb ends either む, ぶ, ぬ, or ぐ, the te-form ends with で instead of て, and the casual version of では is じゃ:
  騒ぐ[sawagu] → 騒いで[sawaide]
  騒いでは[sawaide wa] → 騒いじゃ[sawaija]
  If the sentence does not start with そんなに, you can say: だめだよ、そんなに騒いじゃ。[Dame da yo, son’na ni sawaija. ]

• Oh, no, it’s already 10 p.m. You tell your younger siblings / children / nephews / nieces that they must go to bed right away.

  Word Bank: 寝る[neru](to go to bed), もう[mō](already), ほら[hora](hey there)

  ほら、。

  Sample answers:
  もう寝なきゃいけないよ[mō nenakya ikenai yo]
  …もう寝なくてはいけないよ[…mō nenakute wa ikenai yo]
  …もう寝ないといけないよ[…mō nenai to ikenai yo]
  …もう寝なくちゃ[…mō nenakucha]

• The house is finally quiet! But you are too tired to continue your work. You decide to go to bed. Before you fall asleep, you tell yourself that you must get up at 4:00 the next morning to finish your work. (Good luck with that!)

  Word Bank: 起きる[okiru](to get up), 4時[yo ji](four o’clock), 明日の朝[ashita no asa](tomorrow morning)

  明日の朝は。

  Sample answers:
  ４時に起きなきゃいけない[yo ji ni okinakya ikenai]
  …４時に起きないと[...yo ji ni okinai to]
  …４時に起きなくちゃ[...yo ji ni okinakucha]