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Breakdown of 〜nakute ha naranai
はha
topic particle
なるnaru
to become
〜なくて〜nakute
to not do 〜 and ...; to not do 〜 so ...
Usages of 〜nakute ha naranai
宿題 を しなくて は ならない。syukudai wo sinakute ha naranai.
I must do my homework.
明日、 早く 起きなくて は ならない。asita, hayaku okinakute ha naranai.
Tomorrow, I have to wake up early.
スーツ を 着なくて は なりません。suutu wo kinakute ha narimasen.
I have to wear a suit.
日本語 を 勉強しなくて は なりません。nihongo wo benkyousinakute ha narimasen.
I have to study Japanese.
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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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