haru Korean › Grammar › Level 4B › A/V-아/어야지(요) · -았/었어야지(요)
A/V-아/어야지(요) · -았/었어야지(요) — I must … · you ought to … · you should have … — resolutions, advice and blame
I must … · you ought to … · you should have … — resolutions, advice and blame. Korean grammar for upper intermediate learners — Level 4B, lesson 9: 오늘부터 운동해야지 (Starting today, I'll work out — resolutions, excuses and cheering).
What it means
In Lesson 3A-11 you met -아/어야지 as a promise you make to yourself, often half aloud: 오늘부터 운동해야지 'right — from today I'm exercising'. Add 요 and say it to someone else, and it becomes advice with a touch of 'obviously': 달리기 전에 몸을 풀어야지요 'you really ought to warm up before you run' (in speech often shortened to -아/어야죠). It works with adjectives too, for what someone or something ought to be: 선수라면 몸이 건강해야지요, 운동화는 발이 편해야지요. The forms are those of -아/어야 하다: after ㅏ or ㅗ use 아야지 (가야지, 봐야지), after other vowels 어야지 (먹어야지, 달려야지), and 하다 becomes 해야지; for something you mean not to do, use -지 말아야지 (먹지 말아야지). Put -았/었- in front and the meaning turns to blame: 어젯밤에 일찍 잤어야지! 'you should have gone to bed early last night!' — it should have happened, and it didn't. Because it points a finger, -았/었어야지(요) is for friends, children, people below you — or yourself — never for someone above you. When the regret is your own and you want to sound softer, use -았/었어야 했는데 (Lesson 3B-4): 일찍 잤어야 했는데….
Forms
| Pattern | When | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -아/어야지 | 나에게 하는 약속 (반말 · 나에게) — ㅏ · ㅗ 아야지 · 그 외 어야지 · 하다 해야지 · 하지 않을 일은 -지 말아야지 | 가다 + 아야지 → 가야지 |
| -아/어야지요 | 남에게 하는 충고 — 동사 · 형용사 (입말로 -아/어야죠) | 자다 + 아야지요 → 자야지요 |
Key points
- -아/어야지 = a promise to myself (Lesson 3A-11), often said half aloud: ㅏ · ㅗ → 아야지 (가야지) · others → 어야지 (먹어야지) · 하다 → 해야지 · not doing → -지 말아야지. With 요, to someone else, it becomes advice: that's the right thing to do — 일찍 자야지요. Adjectives work too: 운동화는 편해야지요.
- -았/었어야지(요) = it should have happened, and it didn't — blame: 어젯밤에 일찍 잤어야지! It points a finger, so use it with friends, children or yourself, not with people above you. For your own regret, -았/었어야 했는데 (Lesson 3B-4) is softer.
Examples
- 나에게 하는 약속은 -아/어야지(3A 11과): 오늘부터 운동해야지. 밤에는 라면을 먹지 말아야지.
- 남에게 「그게 맞아요」 하고 말할 때는 -아/어야지요: 달리기 전에 몸을 풀어야지요. 줄여서 -아/어야죠라고도 해요.
- 형용사도 돼요: 선수라면 몸이 건강해야지요. 운동화는 발이 편해야지요.
- 그때 했어야 하는데 안 한 일을 꾸중할 때는 -았/었어야지(요): 어젯밤에 일찍 잤어야지!
- -았/었어야지는 다른 사람을 꾸중하는 말이라서 윗사람에게는 쓰지 않아요. 나의 아쉬움은 -았/었어야 했는데(3B 4과)가 더 부드러워요.
Where university textbooks teach it
This point also appears in: Yonsei University Korean 3-1, lesson 2; Yonsei University Korean 4-1, lesson 9; Sogang University Korean 4B, lesson 6; Ewha Womans University Korean 3-2, lesson 9; Hongik University Korean 3B, lesson 7; Hanyang University Korean 3-2, lesson 7.
Also in this lesson
- V-는 바람에 — because (something sudden) happened — and it messed things up
- V-(으)나 마나 — no point (doing it) · sure without even (looking) — giving up, or being certain
- V-아/어라 · V-지 마라 · 해라체 — Run! · Don't …! — plain-style orders and cheers, and the plain style (해라체) all together