Quote:
Originally Posted by Columbine
If i'm thinking correctly, then that いきません should actually be いけません. Could you show is where you're finding the phrase?
Let's, for argument's sake, assume it's いけません and make a full sentence: 毎日学校に行かなければいけません
This means "(I) must go to school every day." The なければいきません translates to "must". "must not" is expressed as Verbてはいけません. Literally though, なければいきません is just a double negative "If you don't do X (the consequence) will be bad -> you must do X"
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Yes, I misspelled. It is い
けません.
A full sentence example from my study materials would be:
ここでまっすぐいっっては いけません まがらなけれ ば いけません
My translation begins: "you cannot go straight here."
But, after the word "turn" (まがら）, I don't understand the use of the phrase: ...なければ いけません.
I know the sentence tells the person to turn. If it read: まがらなければ いけます, then it would make sense to me. But, in using いけません, it seems that the sentence says "you must not turn," when I know it should be saying "you must turn."
The use of this phrase is coming up a lot in my materials, and it seems that its using a negative to describe a positive action, which is thoroughly confusing me.