Must do なければなりません

Oni's picture
This is a mouthful!  But it is so useful. Learn it well

TO MAKE IT:  plain negative form - i +　 ければ　なりません kereba narimasen

ピーマン　を　食べなければ　なりません。　
 [Would be 食べない for the plain negative form ]
pi-man o tabenakereba narimasen.
(I) must eat green peppers.  (Many Japanese children don't like green peppers)

Say that 5 times fast with your mouth full!

Perhaps the most useful usage is:

～しなければ　なりません
The し shi is from suru (to do)

勉強　しなければ　なりません。
benkyou shinakereba narimasen.
(I) must (have to) study.

しなければ　なりません。
shinakereba narimasen.
(I) must (have to) do (it).

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so if i want to say "i must

Submitted by Sam Goyal on Mon, 05/16/2011 - 16:22.

so if i want to say "i must not eat apples" can it b like:
watashi wa ringo o tabenakereba NARIMASU.
i hav used narimasu (which is a POSITIVE) because it will make the sentence a negative one AS A WHOLE..
am i right ?

Live to eat , don't eat to live :€

I was wondering, is there a

Submitted by grecia frangos on Sun, 02/27/2011 - 11:36.

I was wondering, is there a difference in meaning between using ~なければならないんです and　~なければなりません?
Is the first version just a less polite version, and if it is, why is there ~んです?
I am still a beginner in Japanese, so sorry if this is a stupid question. xD

Dustin's picture

re: んです

Submitted by Dustin on Sun, 02/27/2011 - 12:49.

The んです　is used to add a tone of explanation to the sentence.

It would roughly translate as follows.

The thing it, ( I ) must do ( action ) rather than ( I ) must do ( action )

You'll find as you're exposed to more Japanese that this is used a LOT in the language.

の　のです/んです　のだ/んだ　are all versions of this. This ending can also be conjugated to give a sentence such as "It isn't that I must eat" "It was that I must eat" etc.

http://korynthius.blogspot.com One man's Quest for Japanese Fluency

Thank you for the information

Submitted by grecia frangos on Fri, 03/04/2011 - 06:45.

Thank you for the information :D

what does なりません mean? is it

Submitted by abyx on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 23:55.

what does なりません mean? is it another verb or should I just remember this as a whole? and what about the いけません in てはいけません

chikara's picture

what does なりません mean?

Submitted by chikara on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 13:07.

It is the polite negative non-past form of the verb なる.

なる - to become; to get; to grow; to be; to reach; to attain;

Don't complain to me that people kick you when you're down. It's your own fault for lying there

Dustin's picture

なりません is literally will not

Submitted by Dustin on Thu, 01/06/2011 - 08:09.

なりません is literally will not do
いけません is literally it cannot go

Basically making the structure "Unless someone does ......... it cannot/ will not go.

This is used as Must

http://korynthius.blogspot.com One man's Quest for Japanese Fluency

Must

Submitted by janshi on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 03:32.

Hey guys,

I'm just wondering what the difference is between ~nakereba narimasen and ~nakutewaikemasen/~nakuchaikenai

Do they denote the same thing or is there a difference?

Ongakuka's picture

Must

Submitted by Ongakuka on Tue, 01/04/2011 - 08:12.

Not really much difference between them. As you may be aware 'nakucha' is an abbreviated form of 'nakute wa' for informal use. This can be left on its own, as in 「行かなくちゃ。」

なぜなら、おまえは・・・・・・人形だ

Maix's picture

-sen = positive?

Submitted by Maix on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 05:53.

Uuum, im a bit confused, isnt -sen supposed to be negative?
If narimasu means must, then why does narimasen mean must do in this sentence?
I mean in a more specific description.
Or should I learn that its just supposed to be that way?

皆様, 始めまして! :)

Dustin's picture

re: -sen = positive?

Submitted by Dustin on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 08:30.

たべます -> たべない -> たべなければ
します　-> しない -> しなければ

These verbs are already in the negative form

食べなければ　なりません。　
～しなければ　なりません

It basically is a double negative, I cannot, not eat. This gives it the feeling of having to eat.

http://korynthius.blogspot.com One man's Quest for Japanese Fluency

i got that..

Submitted by Sam Goyal on Mon, 05/16/2011 - 16:18.

okaaay....i got it now.....i was going mad thinking why narimasen has been used when its is a NEGATIVE...but WOW ..i get it now that the verb is also negative ...so the two negatives cancel each other to form a positive (sounds like maths) i.e.MUST DO...
thnx a LOT

Live to eat , don't eat to live :€

Negative form

Submitted by jjkkll294779883737 on Fri, 04/30/2010 - 08:57.

So by adding kereba narimasen it makes the sentence negative?

Lewis :)

clay's picture

Actually the な is what makes

Submitted by clay on Fri, 04/30/2010 - 23:05.

Actually the な is what makes it negative.

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Um...

Submitted by jjkkll294779883737 on Sat, 05/01/2010 - 07:47.

Um... So if you say kereba narimasu will it still be correct?

Lewis :)

clay's picture

No. Sorry, I meant the な

Submitted by clay on Sun, 05/02/2010 - 09:33.

No. Sorry, I meant the な makes the main verb negative.

たべます -> たべない -> たべなければ
します　-> しない -> しなければ

So you need both.

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Link error

Submitted by dan.thunder on Thu, 04/09/2009 - 12:19.

Hi Clay,
The link here for 'suru' gets a 'page not found'.
I think it's because the link has an additional "grammar/chapterthree/" in the url.
Cheers,
Dan

clay's picture

Thanks! Fixed now.

Submitted by clay on Fri, 04/10/2009 - 11:32.

Thanks! Fixed now.

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