Open Lingo
LearnGet started

Korean grammar

Have to and should in Korean: 아/어야 돼요 and 는 게 좋아요

Obligation and advice use two different frames. 아/어야 돼요 is must or have to: 가야 돼요, I have to go. 는 게 좋아요 is literally doing it is good, which is how Korean says you should: 운동하는 게 좋아요. The first follows the vowel rule of the 해요 form; the second attaches to the plain stem.

Examples are written in Hangul. New to it? Start with the hangul chart.

In short

  • Have to: stem + 아/어야 돼요. 가야 돼요 (I have to go), 먹어야 돼요 (I have to eat), 공부해야 돼요.
  • 아야 after ㅏ/ㅗ, 어야 otherwise, 하다 → 해야. 돼요 and 해요 are interchangeable at the end: 가야 해요 means the same as 가야 돼요.
  • Should, as advice: stem + 는 게 좋아요. 운동하는 게 좋아요 (you should exercise), 약을 먹는 게 좋아요.
  • Better not to: 안 + verb + 는 게 좋아요. 커피를 안 마시는 게 좋아요 (it's better not to drink coffee).
  • Questions just add rising intonation: 병원에 가야 돼요? (Do I have to go to the hospital?)

아/어야 돼요 — 'I have to …'

아/어야 되다 = must, have to (do). Stem + 아/어야 + 되다: 가야 돼요 (I have to go); 먹어야 돼요; 공부해야 돼요. After a stem whose last vowel is ㅏ or ㅗ → 아야; otherwise → 어야; 하다 → 해야. 되다 and 하다 are interchangeable here: 가야 돼요 and 가야 해요 mean the same thing.

  • 아야 돼요

    -aya dwaeyo

    must (bright vowel)

  • 어야 돼요

    -eoya dwaeyo

    must (other)

  • 시험이 있어서 공부해야 돼요

    I have an exam, so I have to study.

  • 약속이 있어서 지금 가야 돼요

    I have an appointment, so I have to go now

  • 지금 가야 돼요

    I have to go now

는 게 좋아요 — 'you should …'

는 게 좋다 = it's better to, you should (do): advice. Verb stem + 는 게 좋아요 (from 는 것이 좋다): 운동하는 게 좋아요 (you should exercise); 약을 먹는 게 좋아요. For advice not to do something: 안 … 는 게 좋아요 (it's better not to …).

  • 는 게 좋아요

    -neun ge joayo

    it's better to / should

  • 피곤하면 쉬는 게 좋아요

    If you're tired, you should rest.

  • 건강을 위해서 운동하는 게 좋아요

    For your health, you should exercise

  • 운동하는 게 좋아요

    You should exercise

Check yourself

Questions from the course. Pick an answer to check it; nothing is saved.

  1. 1.'I have to go now.' Pick the Korean.

  2. 2.'I have to take medicine.' Pick the Korean.

  3. 3.'You should exercise.' Pick the Korean.

  4. 4.'You should take medicine.' Pick the Korean.

Practice this in Open Lingo

This page comes from the Open Lingo course. In the app it is a short interactive lesson with listening, speaking and spaced-repetition review. Free, and no account needed to try it.

Practice this in Open Lingo

Keep going