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Grammar detail: てはならない

てはならない
must not ~; should not ~; is strictly forbidden to ~
196 words
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verb て form
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はならない
はなりません
means
must not ~; should not ~; is strictly forbidden to ~
~てはならない is used to express strong prohibitions. It means that something must not be done because it goes against laws, rules, social norms, or moral principles. It is mainly used in formal writing and formal speech.
In everyday speech, it is more common to use ~てはいけない for warnings, instructions, and everyday prohibitions (e.g., a parent telling a child not to eat sweets). By contrast, ~てはならない carries a much stronger, more formal, and authoritative tone.
  • Where you'll see it: Public signs, written rules and regulations, legal documents, academic writing, formal speeches, and statements of moral principle.
  • Tone: Authoritative, formal, and impersonal. It expresses an official or objective stance rather than a personal opinion.
  • Typical verbs: Verbs describing actions in public spaces (e.g., enter, smoke, litter) and abstract verbs related to duty or responsibility (e.g., forget, overestimate, ignore).

Official rules & regulations

かんない
館内
で
しゃしん
写真
の
さつえい
撮影
をしてはならない。
Taking photographs inside the building is strictly prohibited.

Moral duty & principles

わたし
私
たちはこの
いた
痛
ましい
れきし
歴史
を
わす
忘
れてはならない
。
We must never forget this tragic piece of history.
いかなる
くに
国
も
たこく
他国
の
ないせい
内政
に
かんしょう
干渉
して
はならない。
No country should interfere in another country's internal affairs.
しみん
市民
は
だれ
誰
でもその
けんり
権利
を
うば
奪
われて
はならない。
No citizen should be deprived of his rights.
わたし
私
たちはその
ひげき
悲劇
を
く
繰
り
かえ
返
してはならなかった
。
It was a tragedy that we ought never to have repeated.

Safety procedures & professional ethics

あんぜんそうち
安全装置
を
かいじょ
解除
した
まま
きかい
機械
を
そうさ
操作
してはならない
。
You must not operate the machinery while the safety device is disabled.
Other usage
これは
のが
逃
して
はならない
ぜっこう
絶好
の
きかい
機会
だと
かれ
彼
は
おも
思
った
。
He felt that this was too good a chance to miss.
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Kanji used in this grammar

館
カン    building   やかた castle, mansion   
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内
ナイ   ダイ   うち inside   
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写
シャ   photo   うつす to duplicate, to depict   うつる to be photographed   
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真
シン   truth   ま exactly; deep   
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撮
サツ   take a picture   とる to take (a picture)   
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影
エイ   かげ shadow   
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私
シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
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痛
ツウ   いたい painful   いたむ to hurt, be painful   いためる to hurt, damage   
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歴
レキ    passing of time   
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史
シ    history   
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忘
ボウ   わすれる to forget   
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国
コク   くに country   
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他
タ   ほか other   
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政
セイ   ショウ   まつりごと government   
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干
カン   dry; drying frame   ひる to get dry   ほす to dry (something), to air   
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渉
ショウ    ford   
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市
シ   いち market   
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民
ミン   たみ people   
誰
だれ who   
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権
ケン   ゴン    a right   
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利
リ    effective, interest, profit, advantage   きく to be effective   
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奪
ダツ   うばう to snatch (away), to take by force, to steal   
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悲
ヒ   かなしい sad   かなしむ to be sad   
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劇
ゲキ    dramatic, drama, play   
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繰
くる to wind, reel, spin   
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返
ヘン   かえる to return, to come back   かえす to return (something)   
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安
アン   やすい peaceful; cheap   
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全
ゼン   まったく entirely   すべて everything   
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装
ソウ   ショウ   よそおう to wear; to pretend   
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置
チ   おく to put   
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解
カイ   ゲ   とく to untie, solve, resolve   とける to come undone, disappear   とかす to melt, dissolve   
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除
ジ   ジョ   のぞく to exclude; to remove   
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機
キ    machine   はた loom   
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械
カイ    contraption   
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操
ソウ   あやつる to control   みさお chastity, faith   
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作
サク   サ   つくる to make   
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逃
トウ   にげる    のがれる to escape   にがす    のがす to free   
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絶
ゼツ   たえる to die out   たやす to eradicate   たつ to sever, to cut off   
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好
コウ   このむ    すく to like   
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会
カイ   エ   あう to meet   
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彼
ヒ   かれ he   
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思
シ   おもう to think   
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