ちゃいけない・じゃいけない (cha ikenai / ja ikenai)

 

Meaning 意味

must not do (spoken Japanese)

How to use 使い方

 

Verb て	ちゃだめ ちゃいけない ちゃいけません
Verb で	じゃダメ じゃいけない じゃいけません

 

Learn Japanese grammar: ちゃいけない (cha ikenai) / ちゃダメ (cha dame) / じゃいけない (ja ikenai) / じゃダメ (ja dame). Meaning: must not; may not; cannot (spoken Japanese).

This grammar is a more casual way to say we should not do / may not do something. To be more formal, you can use てはいけない (te wa ikenai).

Which to use: ちゃ VS じゃ

• Use the verb’s て form, but then remove the て

たべる -> たべて -> たべちゃ

“taberu” -> “tabete” -> “tabe cha”

• If the て form is で, then ちゃ turns to じゃ

のむ -> のんで -> のんじゃ

“nomu” -> “nonde” -> “nonja”

Main Ending Patterns

• ダメ (dame) = standard, casual

• いけない (ikenai) = standard, casual

• いけません (ikemasen) = same, but more formal

E.g.

1. 寝る前にスマホを見ちゃダメよ。

neru mae ni sumaho o micha dame yo.

You shouldn't look at your smartphone before going to bed.

2. ここはきけんなので、入っちゃダメだよ。

koko wa kiken na node, haiccha dame da yo.

This area is dangerous, so you're not allowed to enter.

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