📈 Understanding Korean Proficiency Levels & TOPIK Alignment

Do you know how to say “I have to…” in Korean?

This lesson will teach you how to use -아/어야 해요, a key grammar pattern to express obligations or things you must do in everyday situations—perfect for intermediate learners aiming for natural Korean conversations.

📚 Table of Contents

• Meaning of -아/어야 해요
• How to Form -아/어야 해요
• When to Use It
• Example Sentences
• Practice Dialogue
• Did You Know?
• Final Thoughts

💡 Meaning of -아/어야 해요

-아/어야 해요 is used to express necessity or obligation, similar to “must” or “have to” in English.

Example: 숙제를 해야 해요. – I have to do homework.

🛠 How to Form -아/어야 해요

• If the verb stem has ㅏ or ㅗ → add -아야 해요 가다 → 가야 해요 (must go)
• If the verb stem has other vowels → add -어야 해요 먹다 → 먹어야 해요 (must eat)
• For 하다 verbs → add -해야 해요 공부하다 → 공부해야 해요 (must study)

Tip: In casual speech, “해요” can change to “돼요” (e.g., 해야 돼요) and still means “must.”

📝 When to Use It

• When talking about daily obligations: “내일 일찍 일어나야 해요.” (I must wake up early tomorrow.)
• When giving instructions: “버스를 타야 해요.” (You must take the bus.)
• When emphasizing necessity: “지금 가야 해요.” (I must go now.)

💡 Note: This pattern is polite and used in both spoken and written Korean. For very formal settings, consider “-아/어야 합니다.”

💬 Example Sentences

• 지금 집에 가야 해요. – I have to go home now.
• 회의 준비를 해야 해요. – I must prepare for the meeting.
• 이 약을 하루에 두 번 먹어야 해요. – You must take this medicine twice a day.
• 내일까지 숙제를 제출해야 해요. – I have to submit homework by tomorrow.

🧩 Quick Check: Can you change “먹다” (to eat) into a sentence using -아/어야 해요?

🗣 Practice Dialogue

A: 오늘 저녁에 뭐 해야 해요? What do you have to do this evening?

B: 숙제를 해야 해요. 그리고 친구를 만나야 해요. I have to do homework and meet a friend.

A: 내일 아침에도 학교에 가야 해요? Do you also have to go to school tomorrow morning?

B: 네, 8시까지 가야 해요. Yes, I have to be there by 8 o’clock.

🧩 Quick Check: How would you say “I have to study Korean today” using this pattern?

🌏 Did You Know?

Did you know? In Korean culture, obligations are often tied to social roles. For example, during holidays like Chuseok or Seollal, family members say “집에 가야 해요” (I must go home) to fulfill duties of ancestral rites, showing how grammar connects to cultural traditions.

📦 Final Thoughts

Understanding and using -아/어야 해요 allows you to express responsibilities naturally in Korean. Practice by describing daily routines or obligations in your own life—it will quickly become one of your most used grammar patterns at the intermediate level.

May this lesson help you speak more confidently about what you must do in Korean. Keep exploring new grammar to elevate your fluency!

🔗 Related Posts

• Shopping Phrases You Should Know
  Learn key expressions for buying items in Korean shops.

🎓 Want to practice expressing obligations in real conversations?
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