……
Usages of dame
子供 は 毎日 学校 に 行かない と ダメ です。kodomo ha mainiti gakkou ni ikanai to dame desu.
Children have to go to school every day.
〜ちゃ ダメ〜tya dame
must not
〜ない と ダメ (です)〜nai to dame (desu)
to have to do 〜
〜なくて は ダメ〜nakute ha dame
to have to do 〜
彼 に 電話しなくちゃ ダメ。kare ni denwasinakutya dame.
I have to call him.
Test yourself: What does dame mean?
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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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