N4#grammar#obligation#intent#n4

Permission & Obligation Lesson 5

This lesson explores how to express obligation and personal intent using the structures べき (should), なければならない (must), and つもり (plan to).

Context

Setting Expectations

In daily life, we often need to talk about what we are obligated to do, what we think we should do, and what we have planned for the future. Whether it is a work deadline or a personal goal, Japanese provides specific structures to convey these nuances.

Imagine you are at the office. Your boss reminds you that you must finish a report by five o'clock. Later, you think to yourself that you should probably start exercising more to stay healthy. Finally, you tell a friend about your plan to travel to Kyoto next month. Each of these situations requires a different way of expressing duty or intent.

Explanation

Grammar Structures

We use different forms depending on whether we are talking about a strict requirement, a moral obligation, or a personal intention.

べきなければならないつもり

べき: Used to express a moral obligation or what is 'right' to do. It attaches to the dictionary form of a verb.
なければならない: A strong expression of necessity (must do). It attaches to the negative form of a verb (drop the 'i' from 'nai' and add 'kereba naranai').
つもり: Expresses a personal plan or intention. It attaches to the dictionary form (for positive) or the negative form (for negative plans).

Tip

Note that 'なければならない' is quite formal. In casual conversation, you will often hear 'なきゃ' (nakya) or 'なくちゃ' (nakucha) instead.

Examples

Examples in Context

See how these structures are applied in natural sentences.

学生(がくせい)は勉強する(べんきょうする)べきです。

Students should study.

学生がくせいstudent勉強するべんきょうするto studyべきべきshould

宿題(しゅくだい)をしなければなりません。

I must do my homework.

宿題しゅくだいhomeworkするするto doなければなりませんなければなりませんmust

明日(あした)、日本(にほん)へ行く(いく)つもりです。

I plan to go to Japan tomorrow.

明日あしたtomorrow日本にほんJapan行くいくto goつもりつもりplan/intention

健康のために、毎日運動する【つもり】です。

Hint: The word for 'plan/intention'.

For my health, I plan to exercise every day.

Usage

Nuance and Register

Understanding the difference in weight between these expressions is key to sounding natural.

Obligation vs. Intent

〜なければならない

External pressure or objective necessity.

行かなければならない (I have to go)

〜つもり

Subjective personal plan or intention.

行くつもりだ (I intend to go)

Which of these is most appropriate for expressing a personal, subjective plan?

〜なければならない
〜べき
✓ 〜つもり

つもり is used for personal plans and intentions, whereas the others express obligation.

Deep dive

Advanced Notes

A few edge cases to keep in mind.

When using 'べき', note that it is rarely used with the verb 'する' as 'するべき'. Instead, it is common to use 'すべき' (subeki). Also, 'つもり' can be used in the past tense to indicate a plan that existed but may have changed (e.g., '行くつもりでした' - I had intended to go).

Summary

Lesson Recap

You have learned three essential structures for expressing duty and intent: べき for moral 'should', なければならない for 'must', and つもり for 'plan to'.

べき

べきauxiliary

should

つもり

つもりnoun

plan/intention

宿題

しゅくだいnoun

homework

健康

けんこうnoun

health

運動する

うんどうするverb

to exercise