TOPIK II · LEVEL 3
-아/어야
-아/어야 means 'only if / you have to A for B to happen': A is a necessary condition.
조건·가정Conditions & what-ifsHan: A command doesn't follow -아/어야 naturally; state the result (-(으)ㄹ 수 있다).
Examples
표가 있어야 들어갈 수 있어요.You can only enter if you have a ticket.
일찍 출발해야 늦지 않아요.We have to leave early so we're not late.
열심히 연습해야 실력이 늘어요.Your skills only improve if you practise hard.
Don’t mix up
-아/어야vs-(으)면-(으)면 = 'if' (any condition); -아/어야 = 'only if' (necessary condition): 연습하면 늘어요 vs 연습해야 늘어요.How to build it
V/A+아야 / 어야
해야 (often + 지)
먹다 → 먹어야, 가다 → 가야, 공부하다 → 공부해야
- The second clause is often -(으)ㄹ 수 있다 or a result: 연습해야 잘할 수 있어요.
- Can't end with a past-tense result clause stating a fact the speaker controls (keep it general).
Classic mistake
Wrong: 돈이 있어야 사세요.
Right: 돈이 있어야 살 수 있어요.
A command doesn't follow -아/어야 naturally; state the result (-(으)ㄹ 수 있다).
Practise -아/어야 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(느)ㄴ다면-(느)ㄴ다면 means 'if (hypothetically)': a condition that is unlikely or imagined.
- -다 보면-다 보면 means 'if you keep doing A (for a while), B will happen'.
- -아/어야지 (필수 조건)An emphatic, conversational form of -아/어야: 'only if A (can B)'. It insists that A is required, often with an obvious or rhetorical second clause: 먹어 봐야지 알지.
- -거든-거든 means 'if / when (that happens), then …', and the second clause is usually a request, suggestion or intention.
- -기만 하면-기만 하면 means 'whenever / every time A happens, B (always) follows' or 'as long as you just do A'.
- N만 아니면'If it weren't for N / if only N weren't the case': names the one obstacle that stops something from happening, often with regret.
- -(으)ㅁ-(으)ㅁ turns a verb or adjective into a noun; it is used in notes, notices, memos and written records.
- -(으)며-(으)며 is a formal, written 'and' (listing) or 'while' (two actions at once).
- -(이)야-(이)야 emphasizes a topic as obvious or as the only one meant: 'as for N, of course …'.