-어야지
-eoyaji
I should/must (plain intent)
An informal sentence-final ending used to express the speaker's own determination or resolve, to say that the listener or someone else ought to do or be a certain way, or, in past tense, to point out emphatically that something should have been the case but wasn't.
Form
- Attaches to
- Verb, Adjective, Auxiliary
- Other shapes
- -아야지 · -여야지 · -어야지요 · -아야지요 · -여야지요
Meanings
- 1
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate the speaker's determination or will.
(두루낮춤으로) 말하는 사람의 결심이나 의지를 나타내는 종결 어미.
※ 혼잣말에도 쓴다.
- 2
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to indicate that the listener or another person is supposed to do a certain thing or be in a certain state.
(두루낮춤으로) 듣는 사람이나 다른 사람이 어떤 일을 해야 하거나 어떤 상태여야 함을 나타내는 종결 어미.
- 3
(informal addressee-lowering) A sentence-final ending used to emphasize that someone or something is supposed to be in a certain situation or state, but it is not so.
(두루낮춤으로) 어떤 상황이나 상태여야 하는데 그렇지 않음을 강조하여 나타내는 종결 어미.
Examples
이번 시험에는 꼭 붙어야지.
I really need to pass this exam.
올해에는 저축을 많이 하게 통장을 만들어야지.
This year I should open a savings account so I can save a lot.
오늘은 피곤하니까 일찍 집에 가서 푹 쉬어야지.
I'm tired today, so I should go home early and rest well.
승규야, 운동한다더니 오늘 좀 했니? 아니. 내일부터 운동장을 열심히 뛰어야지.
Seunggyu, you said you'd exercise -- did you do any today? No. Starting tomorrow, I really need to run hard at the field.
남에게 도움을 받았으면 너도 베풀어야지.
If you've received help from others, you should give back too.
너는 어디 가면 간다고 나한테 미리 알려 줬어야지.
You should have let me know in advance whenever you were going somewhere.
Examples: 한국어기초사전, CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.
Don’t confuse with
Forms with a close meaning — a favourite source of wrong answers on TOPIK.
Quick check
1. What does ‘-어야지’ mean?
2. Which form means “I should/must (plain intent)”?