Please help me break up this sentence.

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Reply #1 - 2010 February 23, 5:29 pm
stplush Member
From: USA Registered: 2009-03-19 Posts: 63

I'm having a hard time distinguishing words in this sentence.  Rikaichan says "なければなりません" is a word meaning you need to do something.  But smart.fm broke up the sentence differently, so I need help from someone who knows.


私用で出かけなければなりません。



Thanks again for any help.

Reply #2 - 2010 February 23, 5:37 pm
yudantaiteki Member
Registered: 2009-10-03 Posts: 3619

How did smart.fm break it up?

verb+なければなりません means that you have to/need to do the verb.

(Because it's a composite of なければ + なりません that might have confused smart.fm?)

Last edited by yudantaiteki (2010 February 23, 5:38 pm)

Reply #3 - 2010 February 23, 5:40 pm
Evil_Dragon Member
From: Germany Registered: 2008-08-21 Posts: 683

なければなりません is ない (negative) + ば (conditional) + なりません (must not)
If it's not x, it must not be.. which is Japanese for have to, should, must.

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Reply #4 - 2010 February 23, 5:49 pm
stplush Member
From: USA Registered: 2009-03-19 Posts: 63

Smart.fm had it split like this.

しよう で でかけなければ なりません

I understand now, thanks to both of you.

Reply #5 - 2010 February 23, 6:36 pm
cangy Member
From: 平安京 Registered: 2006-12-13 Posts: 372 Website

http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/cgi- … 3%E3%80%82

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