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Breakdown of 〜nakute wa ikenai
はwa
topic particle
行くiku
to go
〜なくて〜nakute
to not do 〜 and ...; to not do 〜 so ...
Usages of 〜nakute wa ikenai
薬 を 飲まなくて は いけない。kusuri o nomanakute wa ikenai.
I must take the medicine.
早く 家 を 出なくて は いけません。hayaku ie o denakute wa ikemasen.
I have to leave the house early.
水 を 飲まなくて は いけない。mizu o nomanakute wa ikenai.
I have to drink water.
毎日 運動しなくて は いけません。mainichi undoushinakute wa ikemasen.
I must exercise every day.
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“How do verb conjugations work in Japanese?”
Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".
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