-아/어야
a/eoya
Grammar · 1 sense
should, must, have to
Examples
날씨가 추워졌으니까 옷을 따뜻하게 입어야겠어요.
Since the weather has gotten cold, I should wear warm clothes.
품질이 좋아야 사람들이 그 물건을 살 거예요.
People will buy that product if the quality is good.
내 실수였으니까 내가 바로잡아야 한다고.
It was my mistake, so I have to correct it.
When you'd hear it
This pattern is common in everyday speech and writing. In polite conversation it often appears in forms such as -아/어야겠어요, while -아/어야 한다 is especially frequent in formal speech, workplace language, and written explanations.
What learners get wrong
Learners often read every instance as an obligation. When -아/어야 is followed by a result clause, as in 품질이 좋아야 사람들이 살 거예요, it means that the result happens only if the condition is met; -아/어야 하다 more clearly marks an obligation.
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