Japanese

いけない

いけない
Meaning: bad; must not; no good
Part of Speech: Adjective

Listen to pronunciation

Handwriting

い
け
な
い

Example sentences

You must not tell lies.
今日は雨だ。だけど、出かけないといけない。
It's raining today. But I have to go out.
近所に迷惑をかけてはいけません。
You must not cause trouble to the neighbors.
だからこそ、今は諦めてはいけない。
Because of that very reason, we must not give up now.
いいか、二度とこんなことをしてはいけないぞ。
Listen, you must never do such a thing again.
こら、廊下を走ってはいけません。
Hey! You must not run in the hallway.
ゴミを放置してはいけない。
You must not leave trash lying around.
いかに困難な状況でも、希望を捨ててはいけない。
No matter how difficult the situation, you must not give up hope.
過去の失敗を引きずってはいけない。
You shouldn't dwell on past failures.
現実を直視せず、自分に都合のいい妄想にふけってばかりではいけない。
You must not just indulge in fantasies that are convenient for yourself without facing reality.

Usage Notes

Commonly used in the form '...te wa ikenai' to express prohibition.

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Sign Up

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.