TOPIK II · LEVEL 3
-지 않으면 안 되다
-지 않으면 안 되다 is a strong 'must' (literally 'if you don't, it won't do').
능력·허락·의무Can, may & mustHan: Without 안 the meaning flips to 'it's fine not to study'.
Examples
건강을 위해 담배를 끊지 않으면 안 된다.For your health, you must quit smoking.
비자를 연장하려면 서류를 준비하지 않으면 안 돼요.To extend your visa, you must prepare the documents.
내일까지 보고서를 내지 않으면 안 돼요.I absolutely have to hand in the report by tomorrow.
Don’t mix up
-지 않으면 안 되다vs-아/어야 하다-아/어야 하다 = 'have to'; -지 않으면 안 되다 = 'absolutely must', with stronger pressure.
How to build it
V/A+지 않으면 안 되다
가다 → 가지 않으면 안 돼요, 공부하다 → 공부하지 않으면 안 돼요
- Stronger than -아/어야 하다; stresses there is no choice.
- Short form in speech: -지 않으면 안 돼 / -안 하면 안 돼.
Classic mistake
Wrong: 공부하지 않으면 돼요.
Right: 공부하지 않으면 안 돼요.
Without 안 the meaning flips to 'it's fine not to study'.
Practise -지 않으면 안 되다 on real TOPIK questions
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All TOPIK grammar- -(으)ㄹ 만하다Use it to say an action is worth doing, or that something is good enough or bearable to do.
- -(으)ㄹ 필요가 있다/없다-(으)ㄹ 필요가 있다/없다 means 'it is necessary / there is no need to …'.
- -는 게 낫다-는 게 낫다 means 'it's better to A (than B)', comparing options.
- -아/어서는 안 되다-아/어서는 안 되다 means 'must not / should not do A' (prohibition).
- -아/어야겠다-아/어야겠다 shows the speaker deciding, usually right now, that something needs to be done: "I'd better…" or "I should…".
- -기(가) 쉽다/어렵다-기(가) 쉽다/어렵다 means 'easy / hard to do A'; also 'likely / unlikely to happen'.
- -(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 …'.
