-아야/어야 되다(하다)

Use it to say that someone must or has to do something, or that a certain state is necessary.

능력·허락·의무Can, may & must

Han: 안 가야 돼요 means 'I must not go'. To say 'I don't have to go', use 안 -아도 되다.

Examples

내일 아침 일찍 일어나야 돼요.I have to get up early tomorrow morning.

수업 전에 숙제를 끝내야 해요.I have to finish my homework before class.

감기에 걸려서 약을 먹어야 해요.I caught a cold, so I have to take medicine.

어제는 회의가 있어서 늦게까지 일해야 했어요.Yesterday I had a meeting, so I had to work late.

Don’t mix up

-아야/어야 되다(하다)vs-아도/어도 되다-아도 되다 gives permission, and with 안 it means 'not necessary'; -아야 되다 means something is required. 내일은 안 와도 돼요 (You don't have to come tomorrow).-아야/어야 되다(하다)vs-(으)면 안 되다-(으)면 안 되다 forbids an action ('must not'); -아야 되다 requires one ('must'). 여기에서 사진을 찍으면 안 돼요 (You must not take photos here).

-아야/어야 되다(하다)vs-아야겠다/어야겠다-아야겠다 shows the speaker's own decision made at that moment ('I'd better'); -아야 되다 simply states an obligation. 피곤해서 오늘은 일찍 자야겠어요 (I'm tired, so I'd better go to bed early today).

How to build it

V/A+아야/어야 되다(하다)

가다 → 가야 돼요 / 가야 해요, 먹다 → 먹어야 해요, 공부하다 → 공부해야 돼요

Stems with ㅏ or ㅗ take 아야, other stems take 어야, and 하다 becomes 해야. 되다 and 하다 mean the same here, but 되다 sounds more conversational. Spell the polite form 돼요, not 되요.
For a past obligation, put the past tense on the final verb: 가야 했어요 means 'I had to go'. 갔어야 했어요 means 'I should have gone (but didn't)', which expresses regret.
To say 'you don't have to', use 안 -아도 되다 or -지 않아도 되다. 안 -아야 되다 means 'must not', which is the opposite.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~내일은 휴일이라서 회사에 안 가야 돼요.~~

Right: 내일은 휴일이라서 회사에 안 가도 돼요.

안 가야 돼요 means 'I must not go'. To say 'I don't have to go', use 안 -아도 되다.

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