しなければならないことObligations and Needs
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Talk about appointments, chores, deadlines, rules, forms, and things you need.
- Say what you must do using「なければなりません」.
- Say what you do not have to do using「なくてもいいです」.
- Say what is permitted using「てもいいです」and what is prohibited using「てはいけません」.
- State that something is necessary using「必要です」.
- Ask about and confirm obligations, permissions, and requirements in a short exchange.
- Read and write a short connected text about a set of obligations, such as a to-do list or a set of rules.
Communication Scenario
Yuki's schedule has gotten busier: her host family has given her a list of household chores, her school has upcoming deadlines for a form and a project, and a study-abroad office has sent updated rules about attendance and paperwork. As Yuki and Emma continue their messages, Yuki needs to sort through what she absolutely must do, what she does not need to worry about, what she is allowed to do, and what is not allowed — and Emma wants to understand which parts of Yuki's week are fixed and which are flexible.
- This chapter expands your ability to describe obligations, optional tasks, permissions, and prohibitions connected to appointments, chores, deadlines, rules, and forms.
- By the end of the chapter, you will complete a performance task that includes a written to-do list or set of rules, a spoken explanation of your own obligations, and a listening task based on a short set of instructions.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter controls vocabulary for appointments, chores, deadlines, rules, forms, and necessary items. Several items recycle Volume I daily-routine and school vocabulary; new items support describing obligations and requirements more precisely.
Appointments and Deadlines
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 締め切り | しめきり | deadline |
| 予定 | よてい | plan; schedule (recycled from Ch. 2) |
| 用事 | ようじ | errand; something to attend to |
| 今日中に | きょうじゅうに | by the end of today |
Chores and Rules
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 規則 | きそく | rule; regulation |
| 掃除 | そうじ | cleaning |
| ゴミ出し | ゴミだし | taking out the garbage |
| 責任 | せきにん | responsibility (recycled from Ch. 2) |
Forms and Necessary Items
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 申込書 | もうしこみしょ | application form |
| 必要 | ひつよう | necessary; necessity |
| サイン | サイン | signature; to sign |
| 提出 | ていしゅつ | submission (of a form or document) |
This chapter assumes control of Volume I vocabulary for daily routines, school subjects, and simple time expressions, along with 予定 and 責任 from Chapter 2. The new items above let you describe what these routines require of you, rather than simply what happens and when.
Script and Kanji Focus
This chapter introduces new kanji for rules, needs, deadlines, forms, and submission, with continued furigana support on this chapter's new kanji and on Chapters 2 and 3's new kanji.
規則, 必要, 締め切り, and 提出 are new productive kanji for this chapter and keep furigana support in all readings and exercises until a later chapter's matrix marks them as consolidated. 関係, 招待, 連絡, and 友人 from Chapter 3, and 予定, 責任, and 習慣 from Chapter 2, are still developing and also keep furigana in this chapter. Volume I kanji already marked consolidated, such as 元気, 生活, and 学校, continue to appear without furigana, following the pattern established in Chapter 1.
れんしゅう — Practice: Write 規則, 必要, 締め切り, and 提出 three times each, then use each one once in a sentence about your own week.
Pronunciation Review
Several new words in this chapter contain long vowels and geminate consonants that are easy to shorten when speaking quickly. Practice these contrasts before the Model Dialogue:
- Long vowel: きそく (rule) — hold the long おう-type vowel quality steady across the word
- Geminate consonant: しめきり (deadline) does not contain a small っ, but compare it carefully with せきにん (responsibility), which contains a moraic ん that must keep its own full beat
- Long vowel: ひつよう (necessary) — keep the long よう distinct from a short よ
Read the vocabulary tables above aloud slowly, then again at a natural pace, checking that each long vowel and each moraic ん keeps its full timing.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter authorizes 「なければなりません」for obligation, 「なくてもいいです」for lack of obligation, 「てもいいです」for permission, 「てはいけません」for prohibition, and 「必要です」for stating necessity. No additional grammar paradigm is introduced.
1. Stating obligation with 「なければなりません」
Purpose: to say that something must be done. This pattern is built from the negative plain form of a verb, with ない changed to なければ, followed by なりません.
- 今日中に申込書を出さなければなりません。I must submit the application form by the end of today.
- 毎週、ゴミを出さなければなりません。I have to take out the garbage every week.
なければなりません is built from the negative plain form: 出す → 出さない → 出さなければなりません. This pattern will be reviewed in more detail in later chapters as more verb types are added.
2. Stating lack of obligation with 「なくてもいいです」
Purpose: to say that something does not need to be done. This pattern also begins from the negative plain form of a verb.
- 今週は掃除をしなくてもいいです。I don't have to do the cleaning this week.
- サインはまだしなくてもいいです。I don't have to sign it yet.
3. Permission and prohibition with 「てもいいです」and「てはいけません」
Purpose: to say what is allowed and what is not allowed. Both patterns build on the て-form reviewed in Chapters 1 through 3.
- この規則を読んでもいいですか。May I read this rule? (asking permission)
- はい、読んでもいいです。Yes, you may read it.
- 締め切りの後で提出してはいけません。You may not submit it after the deadline.
てもいいですか is commonly used to ask for permission, and てはいけません is a fairly direct way to state a prohibition. In institutional contexts such as school or host-family rules, てはいけません is natural; in casual conversation, softer alternatives exist but are not introduced in this chapter.
4. Stating necessity with 「必要です」
Purpose: to say that something is necessary, often used with nouns rather than verbs.
- 申込書にサインが必要です。A signature is necessary on the application form.
- この用事には時間が必要です。This errand requires time.
必要です attaches to a noun with が, describing what is needed for a situation, rather than describing an action directly.
Error: *「今週は掃除をしてはいけません」to mean "I don't have to clean this week."
Correction: 今週は掃除をしなくてもいいです。 — なくてもいいです means an action is not required; てはいけません means an action is forbidden. These are two very different meanings.
Grammar Review Practice
- Write one sentence using なければなりません to describe an obligation.
- Write one sentence using なくてもいいです to describe something you do not need to do.
- Write one sentence using てもいいです to ask for or give permission.
- Write one sentence using てはいけません to describe a prohibition.
- Write one sentence using 必要です to describe something necessary.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Yuki and Emma message each other about Yuki's household chores and an upcoming school deadline.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What must Yuki do every week according to her host family's rules?
- Does Yuki have to do the cleaning this week?
- What is necessary for the school application form, and when must Yuki submit it?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Must, don't have to, may, may not. With a partner (or on your own, imagining a partner), take turns describing three things from your own week: one obligation, one thing you don't have to do, and one rule about what is or is not allowed.
タスク２ — A form or a rule. Think of one form you have filled out or one household or school rule you know. Write one sentence describing what is necessary or required, using 必要です or なければなりません.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a clear, moderate pace.
きくタスク — Yuki explains this week's obligations
今週はいろいろな用事があります。まず、今日中に申込書を提出しなければなりません。サインが必要です。それから、毎週、ゴミを出さなければなりませんが、今週は掃除をしなくてもいいです。友人の部屋で勉強してもいいですが、夜遅くまで音楽を聞いてはいけません。少し大変ですが、がんばります。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Note what Yuki must do today, what she does not have to do this week, and what is or is not allowed. Compare your notes with a partner or check them against the passage.
This script uses plain style, appropriate for a private account of Yuki's own week rather than a message to someone she does not know well.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Quick answers
- 今週、何をしなければなりませんか。
- 今週、何をしなくてもいいですか。
- 教室で何をしてはいけませんか。
コミュニケーションタスク — Comparing obligations
With a partner, compare one obligation, one optional task, and one rule from your own lives this week. Use at least one of なければなりません, なくてもいいです, てもいいです, or てはいけません.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Recorded to-do explanation
Record yourself describing your obligations for this week in about one minute, including at least one thing you must do, one thing you do not have to do, and one necessary item, in polite style.
Reading Practice
Read the following short set of household rules, then answer the questions below.
家の規則 — Household rules
この家では、いくつかの規則があります。まず、毎週、ゴミを出さなければなりません。掃除は週末にしなければなりませんが、平日はしなくてもいいです。友人を家に呼んでもいいですが、夜10時の後で音楽を聞いてはいけません。何か必要なものがあれば、いつでも連絡してください。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- What must be done every week, according to this list of rules?
- When is cleaning required, and when is it not required?
- What is allowed, and what is not allowed, regarding friends and music?
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will write a short to-do list or set of rules, using the Building Block pattern from the Grammar section.
- Name the situation in one sentence, such as a busy week, a household, or a class.
- State one obligation, using なければなりません.
- State one optional task, using なくてもいいです.
- Add one permission or prohibition, using てもいいです or てはいけません.
- Revise and check using the checklist below before finalizing your text.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- I named the situation clearly in my first sentence.
- I used なければなりません correctly to describe an obligation.
- I used なくてもいいです correctly to describe something optional.
- I used てもいいです or てはいけません correctly to describe permission or prohibition.
- I did not confuse なくてもいいです with てはいけません.
- I kept one consistent register throughout.
- I kept furigana on 規則, 必要, 締め切り, 提出, and this chapter's Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 kanji, and removed it from consolidated Volume I kanji.
- I ended each sentence with 。 and used consistent script and punctuation throughout.
Culture and Communication
Expectations about chores, quiet hours, guests, and shared responsibilities differ from household to household and from institution to institution in Japan, just as they do elsewhere. A host family's rules, a school's requirements, and a workplace's policies each reflect their own local practice rather than a single nationwide standard, and confirming expectations directly with the people involved is normal and expected.
The directness of てはいけません can vary by relationship and setting; some communities and speakers prefer softer alternatives for less serious rules, while official notices, signs, and formal household rules commonly use direct forms like the ones in this chapter. This chapter introduces the direct pattern first because it is the most transparent for beginning independent learners.
Yuki's polite explanation to Emma and the plain-style household rules in the Reading Practice section both use the same core obligation and permission patterns, but the choice of polite or plain style depends on the audience and the type of text, not on the grammar itself. Later chapters in this volume will continue to develop this distinction.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *今週は掃除をしてはいけません。 (used to mean "I don't have to clean this week").
Correction: 今週は掃除をしなくてもいいです。 — なくてもいいです describes something that is not required; てはいけません describes something that is forbidden.
Error: *出すなければなりません。 (attaching なければなりません directly to the dictionary form).
Correction: 出さなければなりません。 — なければなりません attaches to the negative plain form of the verb (出す → 出さない → 出さなければなりません), not to the dictionary form.
Error: *わたしは必要ですサインを。 (treating 必要です like a transitive verb with an object).
Correction: サインが必要です。 — 必要です describes a noun marked with が as necessary; it is not used like an English verb that takes a direct object.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Give at least five vocabulary items connected to appointments, chores, deadlines, rules, or forms from this chapter.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write 規則, 必要, 締め切り, and 提出 from memory, and explain why they still need furigana in this chapter.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Write one sentence using なければなりません correctly.
2. Write one sentence using なくてもいいです correctly.
3. Write one sentence using てもいいです correctly.
4. Write one sentence using てはいけません correctly.
5. Write one sentence using 必要です correctly.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at the household rules in the Reading Practice section. Write two sentences summarizing them in your own words.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your to-do list or set of rules, following the Writing Workshop steps.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. With a partner or instructor, explain your obligations for the week and answer at least one follow-up question.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
しなければならないこと — Describing obligations, needs, and rules
This performance task draws together the systems developed in this chapter. Complete all three components below.
- Written to-do list or set of rules: Write a text of at least six sentences describing your obligations, optional tasks, and rules for a given week, household, or class, including at least one correct use of なければなりません, one use of なくてもいいです, and one use of てもいいです or てはいけません.
- Spoken explanation: Present a one-minute spoken explanation of your own obligations for the week to a partner, instructor, or recording, in polite style.
- Listening check: Listen to a short set of instructions or rules and correctly identify what must be done, what is optional, and what is or is not allowed.
Assessment focus: accurate use of new Chapter 4 kanji and vocabulary; correct formation of なければなりません and なくてもいいです from the negative plain form; correct use of てもいいです and てはいけません for permission and prohibition; correct use of 必要です with が; correct furigana on new and developing kanji; and comprehensible pronunciation with attention to long vowels and moraic ん.
Answer Key
Grammar Review Practice
1. Model: 今日中に申込書を出さなければなりません。 2. Model: 今週は掃除をしなくてもいいです。 3. Model: この規則を読んでもいいですか。 4. Model: 締め切りの後で提出してはいけません。 5. Model: 申込書にサインが必要です。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- By her host family's rules, Yuki must take out the garbage every week.
- No, Yuki does not have to do the cleaning this week.
- A signature is necessary for the application form, and Yuki must submit it by the end of today.
Listening task — Model summary
Yuki must submit the application form today, with a required signature. She must take out the garbage every week, but she does not have to clean this week. She may study in a friend's room, but she may not listen to music late at night.
Reading — Comprehension
- According to the household rules, the garbage must be taken out every week.
- Cleaning is required on weekends, but it is not required on weekdays.
- Friends are allowed in the house, but music is not allowed after 10 p.m.
Chapter Review — Section A and B
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary tables and the Script and Kanji Focus section above.
Chapter Review — Section C
Open-ended; models follow the patterns shown in the Grammar section above.
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: この家では、毎週ゴミを出さなければなりません。掃除は週末だけしなければなりません。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Section E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate written work against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the spoken explanation and listening check against the assessment focus listed under the Practical Performance Task.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can describe appointments, chores, deadlines, rules, and forms, state obligations with なければなりません, describe optional tasks with なくてもいいです, describe permission and prohibition with てもいいです and てはいけません, and state necessity with 必要です, supported by expanded Volume II kanji, vocabulary, and grammar.