いけない

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Japanese

Alternative spelling
行けない

Etymology

Negative form of 行ける (ikeru), the potential form of 行く (iku).

Adjective

いけない • (ikenai) -i (adverbial いけなく (ikenaku))

  1. bad, naughty
    いけない子(こ)だね。
    Ikenai ko da ne.
    You're a naughty child.
  2. (ては~) it's bad if...
    宿(しゅく)題(だい)をしなくてはいけない。
    Shukudai o shinakute wa ikenai.
    I have to do my homework.
    (literally, “It's bad if I don't do my homework.”)
    ポイ捨(す)てしてはいけない。
    Poisute shite wa ikenai.
    Please don't litter.
    (literally, “It's bad to litter.”)

Usage notes

The “it's bad if …” sense is similar to ならない (naranai) or だめ (dame), but appeals to morals instead of rules. ならない (naranai) is used for something you're not allowed to do, and いけない (ikenai) is used for something that you shouldn't do because it brings about an unwanted result. However, this doesn't mean that いけない (ikenai) (e.g. in ~てはいけない (~te wa ikenai)) makes it a request instead of a demand.

Inflection

Inflection of いけない
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形) いけなかろ ikenakaro
Continuative (連用形) いけなく ikenaku
Terminal (終止形) いけない ikenai
Attributive (連体形) いけない ikenai
Hypothetical (仮定形) いけなけれ ikenakere
Imperative (命令形) いけなかれ ikenakare
Key constructions
Informal negative いけなくない ikenaku nai
Informal past いけなかった ikenakatta
Informal negative past いけなくなかった ikenaku nakatta
Formal いけません
いけないです 		ikemasen
ikenai desu
Formal negative いけなくありません
いけなくないです 		ikenaku arimasen
ikenaku nai desu
Formal past いけませんでした
いけなかったです 		ikemasen deshita
ikenakatta desu
Formal negative past いけなくありませんでした
いけなくなかったです 		ikenaku arimasendeshita
ikenaku nakatta desu
Conjunctive いけなくて ikenakute
Conditional いけなければ ikenakereba
Provisional いけなかったら ikenakattara
Volitional いけなかろう ikenakarō
Adverbial いけなく ikenaku
Degree いけなさ ikenasa

Synonyms

Interjection

いけない • (ikenai) 

  1. Oh no!
    いけない、遅(ち)刻(こく)する！
    Ikenai, chikoku suru!
    Oh no! I'm going to be late!
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