N4#grammar#obligation#intent#n4

Permission & Obligation Lesson 6

Master the nuances of expressing duty, moral obligation, and personal intent using なければならない, べき, and つもり.

Context

Setting the Scene

In daily life, we often need to talk about what we must do, what we ought to do, and what we plan to do. Whether it is a strict deadline at work, a moral duty to help a friend, or a personal resolution for the new year, these expressions help you navigate social expectations.

Imagine you are at the office. Your boss tells you that you must finish a report by tomorrow. Later, you think to yourself that you really ought to be more organized, and you decide that you intend to start waking up earlier to get more work done.

Explanation

Grammar Structures

We use different structures to express varying levels of obligation and intent.

なければなりませんべきつもり

なければなりません (Must): Used for objective necessity or external requirements. It is a formal way to say 'must'.
べきです (Should/Ought to): Used for moral obligation or logical expectation. It expresses what is 'proper' to do.
つもりです (Intend to): Used to state your personal plan or intention.

Tip

For 'must', you can also use なければならない in casual speech, but なければなりません is the standard polite form.

Examples

Examples in Context

See how these patterns function in real sentences.

明日(あした)、宿題(しゅくだい)を出さなければなりません(ださなければなりません)。

I must submit my homework tomorrow.

明日あしたtomorrow宿題しゅくだいhomework出さなければなりませんださなければなりませんmust submit

学生(がくせい)はもっと勉強するべき(べんきょうするべき)です。

Students should study more.

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

来年(らいねん)、日本へ行くつもり(いくつもり)です。

I intend to go to Japan next year.

来年らいねんnext year行くつもりいくつもりplan to go

約束を守る【つもり】です。

Hint: What is the word for 'intention'?

I intend to keep my promise.

Usage

Nuance and Register

Understanding the difference between 'must' and 'should' is key to sounding natural.

Must vs Should

〜なければならない

External requirement (rules, laws, deadlines)

行かなければならない

〜べき

Internal judgment (moral duty, advice)

行くべきだ

Which form is most appropriate for a strict rule at work?

行くつもりです
行くべきです
✓ 行かなければなりません

なければなりません expresses an objective requirement or rule.

Deep dive

Deep Dive: Exceptions

A few things to keep in mind regarding these structures.

For the verb する (to do), the べき form is often written as すべき instead of するべき. Both are acceptable, but すべき is slightly more formal and common in writing.

Note

つもり is used for your own intentions. If you want to talk about someone else's intentions, you usually use the form 〜つもりだそうです (I heard they intend to...) or 〜つもりらしいです.

Summary

Lesson Recap

You have learned how to express necessity, moral obligation, and personal plans. Remember that なければなりません is for external duties, べき is for moral judgment, and つもり is for personal intent.

宿題

しゅくだいnoun

homework

約束

やくそくnoun

promise

勉強する

べんきょうするverb

to study

守る

まもるverb

to protect/keep

出す

だすverb

to submit/take out