いけない
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Base i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Used to express prohibition, undesirability, or that something is not allowed or morally wrong.
Theme
In a classroom, User and their classmate Miyuki are discussing rules for an upcoming school event. Miyuki is a responsible student who often reminds others of guidelines.
いけない
いけない
must not do, bad, wrong
Core Language Building BlocksCore Forms & Grammar Patterns
Memory Hook
Imagine a parent scolding a child: 'No, that's bad!' — 『いけない！』 (ikenai, 'must not do / Bad'). 'Ike-nai' sounds like 'I can't' — you can't do it because it's wrong!
Cultural Note
『いけない』 (ikenai) is commonly used in warnings or prohibitions, such as in public signs or parental instructions. It conveys a sense of moral or social wrongness, often implying 'you must not do that'.
Forms
Base: いけないBase i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Used to express prohibition, undesirability, or that something is not allowed or morally wrong.
Negative: いけなくないDrop 『い』 → add 『くない』 (kunai, negative) → 『いけなくない』 (ikenakunai, 'not bad / Not wrong').
Past: いけなかったDrop 『い』 → add 『かった』 (katta, past) → 『いけなかった』 (ikenakatta, 'was bad / Was wrong').
Adverbial: いけなくDrop 『い』 → add 『く』 (ku, adverbial) → 『いけなく』 (ikenaku, 'badly / In a wrong manner').
Comparative: よりいけないComparative formed with modifier 『より』 (yori, 'more than') + base adjective → 『よりいけない』 (yori ikenai, 'more bad / More wrong').
Superlative: 一番いけないSuperlative formed with 『一番』 (ichiban, 'number one / Most') + adjective → 『一番いけない』 (ichiban ikenai, 'the worst / The most wrong').