〜なきゃ＆〜なくちゃ (~nakya & ~ nakucha) suffixes

「マギーもっと痩せなきゃモテないよ！」
= Maggie motto yasenakya motenai yo!
= Maggie, you won’t attract anybody if you don’t lose weight.

「ダイエットしなくちゃ！」
= Daietto shinakucha!
= You have to go on a diet.

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We have a guest teacher, Anzu-Sensei today.

My dear Twitter Follower pupulinoさん sent me this picture. Thank you!! !ochame!

I made a lesson on ～ちゃう=~chau + ～ちゃった= ~ chatta before.

Today’s lesson is on other casual suffixes.

(verb　未然形 = mizenkai) +なくちゃ = ~ (verb) + naku cha

and

(verb 未然形 = mizenkei ) +なきゃ = (verb) +nakya

:n: 未然形 = mizenkei = imperfective form

People who just learned formal Japanese from text books and/or strict teachers may find this difficult because they are not traditionally taught. Actually we use these suffixes very often in casual conversation.

They mean “to have to do something” or “must do something”

OK, let’s start!!

When you want to say,

“I have to go now”, many of you would translate that as,

A) もう(私は*）行かなくてはいけない or ならない。

= Mou (watashi wa* ) ikanakute wa ikenai or naranai

:rrrr: (more polite) いけません。or なりません。

= ikemasen. or narimasen.

or

B) もう（私は*)行かなければいけない or ならない。

= Mou (watashi wa*) ikanakereba ikenai or naranai

:rrrr: (more polite) いけません。or なりません。

=ikemasen or narimasen.

Note : * We often omit subjects.

* ならない(= naranai)  and なりません (= narimasen) are more formal than いけない (= ikenai) and いけません (= ikemasen).

A lot of time we don’t finish the sentences.

:u:

もう行かなくては… or 行かなければ
= Mou ikanakutewa…or ikanakereba

Now, let’s make them more casual. When we talk to our friends,  family, or  ourselves , we don’t say,

A) もう(私は*）行かなくてはいけません。or なりません。
= Mou (watashi wa* ) ikanakute wa ikemasen. or narimasen.

instead, we say,

:u:
もう行かなくちゃ
= Mou ikanakucha

and

B) もう（私は*)行かなければいけません。or なりません。
= Mou (watashi wa*) ikanakereba ikemasen or narimasen.

will be

:u:

もう行かなきゃ
= Mou ikanakya

:i: See the change of the suffix?

(verb 未然形 ) + なくてはいけない or ならない
= (verb= mizenkei) + nakutewa ikenai or naranai

:rrrr: (verb mizenkei) +なくちゃ

= (verb) + nakucha

(verb 未然形 )+ なければいけない or ならない

= (verb mizenkei)+ nakereba ikenai or naranai

:rrrr: (verb 未然形) +なきゃ

= (verb mizenkei) + nakya

★ Telling yourself or other people what you have to do.

Ex. I have to eat.

•食べなきゃ（いけない）
= tabenakya (ikenai)

•食べなくちゃ（いけない）
= tabenakucha (ikenai)

Ex. I have to study.

•勉強しなきゃ（いけない）
= benkyou shinakya (ikenai)

•勉強しなくちゃ（いけない）
= benkyou shinakucha (ikenai)

Ex. I have to reply

•返事を出さなきゃ（いけない）
= henji wo dasanakya (ikenai)

•返事を出さなくちゃ（いけない）
= henji wo dasanakucha (ikenai)

:jjj: When we use them.

★with possible consequences

Ex. If I don’t study,  I will fail the exam.

勉強しなくちゃ or しなきゃ 試験に受からない。
= Benkyou shinakucha or shinakya shiken ni ukaranai.

★Showing your determination

Ex. I really have to win!

•絶対に勝たなくちゃ(いけない）or (だめだ）
= Zettai ni katanakucha (ikenai) or (dameda)

•絶対に勝たなきゃ(いけない）or (だめだ）
= Zettai ni katanakya (ikenai) or (dameda)

★When you tell other people what to do.

Ex. You have to study Japanese more!

•もっと日本語の勉強しなくちゃ（いけないよ）or (だめだよ）
= Motto nihongo no benkyou shinakucha (ikenaiyo) or (damedayo)

•もっと日本語の勉強しなきゃ（いけないよ）or (だめだよ）
= Motto nihongo no benkyou shinakya (ikenaiyo) or (damedayo)

Ex. You have to go to bed now.

•もう寝なくちゃ(いけませんよ）or (だめですよ)
= Mou nenakucha (ikemasen yo) or ( dame desu yo)

•もう寝なきゃ(いけませんよ）or (だめですよ)
= Mou nenakya (ikemasen yo) or ( dame desu yo)


★When you tell other people what to do and the possible consequences.

•もっと日本語の勉強しなくちゃ or しなきゃ、マギー先生に怒られるよ。
= Motto nihongo no benkyou shinakucha or shinakya Maggie sensei ni okorareru yo.

= If you don’t study Japanese, Maggie Sensei will chew you out.


マギー先生より = Maggie Sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei

あんず先生が言う様に、もっと運動しなくちゃね。
= Anzu sensei ga iu you ni, motto undou shinakucha ikenai wane.
= I guess I should exercise more like Anzu sensei said.

Thank you, Anzu sensei! !JYANE!

17 Responses to “〜なきゃ＆〜なくちゃ (~nakya & ~ nakucha) suffixes”

  1. Faika  on December 25th, 2011

    domou arigatou sensei^_^..
    its help me a lot..thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Maggie  on December 25th, 2011

      @Faika

      こちらこそ！サイトにきてくれてありがとう！またきてね！ :)

      Reply

  2. Ron  on August 26th, 2011

    Ahmm. これ云いサイトでしょう。先生、”こちらこそ”って言うのは教えてくれませんか？ありがとう！bookmarkするはすだ！。

    Reply

    • Maggie  on August 26th, 2011

      @Ron

      Hi Ron!　来てくれてありがとう！
      「こちらこそ」の使い方ですか？

      Ex. A : 「ありがとう！」 Thank you! B : 「こちらこそ！」Me,too.
      Ex. A : 「よろしくお願いします。」Nice to meet you!B : 「こちらこそ！」 Nice to meet you,too!
      Ex. A : 「会えてうれしいです。」It’s a pleasure to meet you. B : 「こちらこそ！」Likewise
      Ex. A: 「御迷惑をおかけいたしました。」I am terribly. B : 「こちらこそ….」Me,too.

      So こちら refers to you or your side. So instead of repeating the same thing, you say this to the person.
      Is it clear?

      Reply

      • Ron  on September 2nd, 2011

        あのえ、先生。時々、”そう思います”ってか”私も”ってかを返事できろうとおもうんだ。同じ使用だろう。

        Reply

        • Maggie  on September 2nd, 2011

          @Ron

          ごめんなさい。質問（しつもん）の意味（いみ）がよくわからないのですが、
          So you want to ask,
          Q : 「そう思います」と「私も」の使い方が同じですか？
          If so…they are different.
          そう思います = I think so
          私も = me,too

          If you say 私もそう思います, it means ” I think so,too.”

          Reply

          • Ron  on September 5th, 2011

            ごめんなさい。”こちらこそ”の使い方が本当にまだはっきりわかります。質問は”そう思います”と”私も”っていうのを、時々、返事できる。ね?どうもありがとう先生。

          • Maggie  on September 5th, 2011

            @Ron

            OK, first let me help your sentences. ”こちらこそ”の使い方が本当にまだはっきりわかります。→You know clearly how to use”こちらこそ”? Then say, こちらこその使い方はもうはっきりわかります。
            もう = already まだ = not yet
            “時々返事できる” means “You can answer once in a while.” I assume you sometimes get confused when to use “私も” and ”そう思います”
            Then I hope I answered your questions in my last comment.

            そう思います is used only when you agree with someone.
            私も just means, “me,too”
            Try these :
            Ex. 私はカレーが好きです。　Which one do you use?　” “私も” or ”そう思います”
            Ex. マギーはかわいいです。Which one do you use?　” “私も” or ”そう思います”

            If you want, follow me on twitter. We can practice there.

  3. Stevo  on July 20th, 2011

    Nice, never seen your lessons before, I like how they are all in Kanji, keep it up!

    Reply

    • Maggie  on July 21st, 2011

      @Stevo

      Hi Stevo! Thank you for visiting my site! また来（き）てね！ :)

      Reply

  4. Van  on April 26th, 2011

    Can　なくちゃ and 　なきゃ　be used by both girls and boys? Is one more girly then the other one?

    Thank you

    Reply

    • Maggie  on April 26th, 2011

      @Van

      Yes, men and women both can use these forms.

      Reply

  5. Rafael.  on November 29th, 2010

    Great lesson マギー先生！面白かったですよ～
    もうノートに書き終わりました。
    本当にありがとうございます～

    もう行かなきゃｗｗ

    Reply

    • Maggie  on November 29th, 2010

      @Rafael

      こちらこそありがとう！！
      もう完璧（かんぺき）に使えるね！

      Reply

  6. Danielle:Canada  on November 22nd, 2010

    So, ～なきゃ　and ～なくちゃ　can be used interchangeably? Or, is there some difference in usage?

    Reply

    • Maggie  on November 22nd, 2010

      @Danielle:Canada

      Hi, Danielle! ~なきゃ and ~なくちゃ can be used interchangeably in most cases. Some says they have exactly the same meaning but to be precise, there is a slight difference.
      ~なきゃ is a bit stronger than ~なくちゃ. If we feel something has to be done urgently or we really feel obliged to do something we tend to use ~なきゃ.

      Reply

      • Danielle:Canada  on November 23rd, 2010

        ありがとうございます! That helps

        Reply


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