~ねばならない

〜neba naranai

JLPT N2 Very formal, literary Chapter 36: Must and may, 9 of 12

Formation

Verb-ない form -> (remove い) -> ね + ばならない

Expresses obligation or necessity; 'must', 'have to', 'need to'.

When to use

Literary/legal-sounding contraction of なければならない; textbook and formal writing register, rare in speech.

Explanation

The ~ねばならない grammar point is used to express obligation or necessity. It can be translated as 'must', 'have to', or 'need to' in English. This grammar point is mainly used with verbs, indicating that the action must be done.

Example sentences

Obligation (Must / Have to)

Corpus examples (60)

Showing 25 of 60 corpus examples.