Core Grammar Level 2
Lesson 20
10:16
 
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Lesson 20

 

By the end of this lesson, you will be constructing sentences using -아/어/여 [-a/eo/yeo] + -야 되다/하다 [-ya doe-da/ha-da] to say things such as “I have to go to work” or “You should buy it.”

 

To use this ending, take the verb stem and add -아/어/여 PLUS -야 되다 or -야 하다.

 

Conjugation

verb stem + -아/어/여 + -야 되다/하다

 

Ex)

자다 [ja-da] = to sleep

자 + -아/어/여 + -야 되다/하다

→ 자 + -아 + -야 되다/하다 

     (-아 is chosen because 자 ends with a vowel.)

→ 자야 되다/하다 [ja-ya doe-da/ha-da] (Drop the -아 because it is the same as ㅏ.)

→ 자야 되다 and 자야 하다 are the same thing.

 

쓰다 [sseu-da] = to use; to write

쓰 + -아/어/여 + -야 되다/하다

→ 쓰 + -어 + -야 되다/하다 

    (-어 is chosen because 쓰 does not end in ㅏ or ㅗ.)

→ 써야 되다/하다 [sseo-ya doe-da/ha-da] (쓰 + 어 together change to 써)

→ 써야 되다 and 써야 하다 mean the same thing.

 

Conjugation
  1. verb stems ending in vowels ㅏ or ㅗ + -아야 되다/하다
  2. verb stems ending in other vowels + -어야 되다/하다
  3. 하 + -여야 되다/하다

 

However, it is more important to understand WHY -아/어/여야 되다/하다 means “to have to” or “should”.

 

To understand this better, look at the two parts separately:

 

  1. -아/어/여 + -야

This means “only when _____ is done” or “only when you do _____”.

 

  1. 되다 or 하다

되다 means “to be done” or “to be possible”, and 하다 means “to do” something.

 

Therefore, when putting 1 and 2 together, it takes the meaning of “only when you do _____, it works”, “only when you do this, everything is alright”, or “only if _____ is done, it is okay”. Thus, -아/어/여야 되다/하다 takes the meaning of “to have to” or “should”.

 

Q: What is the difference between 하다 and 되다 here?

A: The only difference is that using 되다 is more common in colloquial situations.

 

Sample Sentences

집에 가야 돼요. [ji-be ga-ya dwae-yo.]

= I have to go home.

 

저는 뭐 해야 돼요? [jeo-neun mwo hae-ya dwae-yo?]

= What should I do?

 

언제까지 여기에 있어야 돼요? [eon-je-kka-ji yeo-gi-e i-sseo-ya dwae-yo?]

= Until when should I be here?

 

누구한테 줘야 돼요? [nu-gu-han-te jwo-ya dwae-yo?]

= Who should I give this to?

 

어디에서 사야 돼요? [eo-di-e-seo sa-ya dwae-yo?]

= Where should I buy it?