〜きゃ: This is a short way to say you "have to" do something. It is like saying "gotta" in English.

Dictionary

〜きゃ

This is a short way to say you "have to" do something. It is like saying "gotta" in English.

KMT6CasualCasual ContractionSpoken OnlyAbbreviated Conditionals CasualGrammar

Verb [なきゃ-form]Primary

い-Adjective [stem] + きゃ

This is a short way to say you "have to" do something. It is like saying "gotta" in English.

あ、もうこんな時間！早く行かなきゃ。

Oh, look at the time! I've gotta go now.

CasualNon PastAffirmativeSentence EndingNecessityDaily Life

もっと早く家を出なきゃだったのに、寝坊しちゃった。

I should have left the house earlier, but I overslept.

CasualPastAffirmativeMid SentenceHypotheticalDaily Life

値段が安きゃ、別に何でも買うよ。

If the price is cheap, I'll buy pretty much anything.

CasualNon PastAffirmativeMid SentenceHypotheticalDaily Life

そんなこと、いちいち言わなきゃ分かんないの？

Do I have to spell everything out for you to understand?

RoughNon PastAffirmativeMid SentenceDeclarativeFamily & Relationships

このゲーム、クリアしたきゃ、もっとレベル上げしなきゃだめだよ。

If you want to clear this game, you have to level up more.

CasualNon PastAffirmativeMid SentenceNecessityGames

This is different from 〜たら or 〜ば. Those can suggest things. 〜きゃ means you must do something. It is also different from 〜りゃ. 〜りゃ is for 〜れば. 〜きゃ is for 〜なければ.

Don't use this when you need to be polite. For example, don't use it with your boss. This form is very casual. It is like saying "gotta" instead of "have to." Use the longer forms instead. They are more polite.

Use this when you want to say you "have to" do something. It shows you feel you must do it right now. It is a very casual way to speak.

Less formal alternatives(4)

〜たら

This is like saying "If I do this..." but you don't finish the sentence. You want the other person to think about what happens next.

〜なら

You use this to talk about something already mentioned. It helps you add a comment or suggestion about that topic.

〜ば

This is a grammar point you use at the end of a sentence. It sets a condition. It suggests a good outcome without saying it.

〜たら？

This is a friendly way to suggest something. It means 'Why don't you...?' or 'How about...?'

Dialect / slang variants(1)

〜ば

This is a grammar point you use at the end of a sentence. It sets a condition. It suggests a good outcome without saying it.

条件形 (えば)

This grammar means 'if' or 'when'. You use it for things that are generally true. You also use it for advice or ideas.

ない形

This is how you make a verb negative. It means "do not" or "will not." It is the casual way to say 〜ません.

〜なければいけない

This grammar shows you must do something. It means you have to do it. There is no other choice.

〜なきゃいけない

You use this phrase to say you 'must' do something. It means you 'have to' do it. It is a shorter way to say a longer phrase.

〜なくちゃ

A casual, spoken contraction expressing obligation or necessity, equivalent to 'must' or 'have to'. It is a contracted form of 〜なくてはいけない or 〜なくてはならない.

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Dictionary

〜きゃ

This is a short way to say you "have to" do something. It is like saying "gotta" in English.

KMT6CasualCasual ContractionSpoken OnlyAbbreviated Conditionals CasualGrammar

Verb [なきゃ-form]Primary

い-Adjective [stem] + きゃ

This is a short way to say you "have to" do something. It is like saying "gotta" in English.

あ、もうこんな時間！早く行かなきゃ。

Oh, look at the time! I've gotta go now.

CasualNon PastAffirmativeSentence EndingNecessityDaily Life

もっと早く家を出なきゃだったのに、寝坊しちゃった。

I should have left the house earlier, but I overslept.

CasualPastAffirmativeMid SentenceHypotheticalDaily Life

値段が安きゃ、別に何でも買うよ。

If the price is cheap, I'll buy pretty much anything.

CasualNon PastAffirmativeMid SentenceHypotheticalDaily Life

そんなこと、いちいち言わなきゃ分かんないの？

Do I have to spell everything out for you to understand?

RoughNon PastAffirmativeMid SentenceDeclarativeFamily & Relationships

このゲーム、クリアしたきゃ、もっとレベル上げしなきゃだめだよ。

If you want to clear this game, you have to level up more.

CasualNon PastAffirmativeMid SentenceNecessityGames

Use this when you want to say you "have to" do something. It shows you feel you must do it right now. It is a very casual way to speak.

Less formal alternatives(4)

〜たら

This is like saying "If I do this..." but you don't finish the sentence. You want the other person to think about what happens next.

〜なら

You use this to talk about something already mentioned. It helps you add a comment or suggestion about that topic.

〜ば

This is a grammar point you use at the end of a sentence. It sets a condition. It suggests a good outcome without saying it.

〜たら？

This is a friendly way to suggest something. It means 'Why don't you...?' or 'How about...?'

Dialect / slang variants(1)

〜ば

This is a grammar point you use at the end of a sentence. It sets a condition. It suggests a good outcome without saying it.

条件形 (えば)

This grammar means 'if' or 'when'. You use it for things that are generally true. You also use it for advice or ideas.

ない形

This is how you make a verb negative. It means "do not" or "will not." It is the casual way to say 〜ません.

〜なければいけない

This grammar shows you must do something. It means you have to do it. There is no other choice.

〜なきゃいけない

You use this phrase to say you 'must' do something. It means you 'have to' do it. It is a shorter way to say a longer phrase.

〜なくちゃ

A casual, spoken contraction expressing obligation or necessity, equivalent to 'must' or 'have to'. It is a contracted form of 〜なくてはいけない or 〜なくてはならない.

Track your mastery

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〜きゃ

Patterns2

Meaning

Examples5

Contrasts1

Restrictions1

Discourse Function1

Compare with5

Less formal alternatives(4)

Dialect / slang variants(1)

Prerequisites5

Track your mastery

〜きゃ

Patterns2

Meaning

Examples5

Contrasts1

Restrictions1

Discourse Function1

Compare with5

Less formal alternatives(4)

Dialect / slang variants(1)

Prerequisites5

Track your mastery