-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.

조건·가정Conditions & what-ifs

Han: -아/어야지 states a required condition and its natural result, not a polite 'if…, please…'. For a request use -(으)면.

Examples

직접 먹어 봐야지 맛을 알지.You only know the taste if you try it yourself.

돈을 모아야지 여행을 가지, 이렇게 다 쓰면 못 가.You have to save money to travel; if you spend it all like this, you can't go.

아침을 든든히 먹어야지 오전 내내 힘이 나지.You need a solid breakfast to have energy all morning.

Don’t mix up

-아/어야지 (필수 조건)vs-아/어야-아/어야 is neutral and fits any register; -아/어야지 adds spoken insistence: 여권이 있어야 출국할 수 있습니다 (notice) vs 여권이 있어야지 나가지! (talk).

-아/어야지 (필수 조건)vs-아/어야지요 (종결)The ending closes the sentence as a resolve or duty; the connective leads into a result: 운동해야지요 'I should exercise' vs 운동을 해야지 건강해지지 'you only get healthy if you exercise'.

How to build it

V/A+아야지 / 어야지 / 해야지

N+이어야지 / 여야지

가다 → 가야지; 먹다 → 먹어야지; 공부하다 → 공부해야지; 듣다 → 들어야지; 학생 → 학생이어야지; 친구 → 친구여야지

Typical frame: A-아/어야지 B-지 (알지, 되지, 늘지), where B is the result that follows naturally: 직접 가 봐야지 알지.
The second clause is often negative or a rhetorical question, implying 'otherwise it won't happen': 연습을 해야지 실력이 늘지, 그냥은 안 늘어.
It is spoken and informal; in writing and formal speech use -아/어야. Do not confuse it with the sentence ending -아/어야지(요) 'I really should'.
A past form states a missed condition: 일찍 왔어야지 만날 수 있었지 'you had to come early to see him'.

Classic mistake

Wrong: ~~시간이 있어야지 연락하세요.~~

Right: 시간이 있으면 연락하세요.

-아/어야지 states a required condition and its natural result, not a polite 'if…, please…'. For a request use -(으)면.

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