NAKYA AND NAKUCHA

「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.

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
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
(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
(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.

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,

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

もう行かなきゃ
= Mou ikanakya
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
(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
(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)
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.