Korean grammar · Level 2 · 2급
-아야/어야 해요
Have to
-아야/어야 해요 means “must” or “have to”. Choose -아야 or -어야 by the last vowel, as with -아요/어요, and 하다 becomes 해야 해요. In speech you will also hear -아야/어야 돼요, with the same meaning.
| When | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| last vowel ㅏ or ㅗ | -아야 해요 | 가다 → 가야 해요 · 자다 → 자야 해요 |
| any other vowel | -어야 해요 | 먹다 → 먹어야 해요 · 쉬다 → 쉬어야 해요 |
| 하다 | 해야 해요 | 공부하다 → 공부해야 해요 |
Examples
약을 하루에 세 번 먹어야 해요.
You have to take the medicine three times a day.
오늘은 일찍 자야 해요.
I have to go to bed early tonight.
병원에 가야 해요?
Do I have to see a doctor?
Practise it in context · Level 2, Unit 4
Where does it hurt?
A dialogue with audio, practice that checks itself, Hoya’s mistakes, a reading and a writing task.
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