Confusion with ければ/ なければ
I've recently been introduced to ければ/ なければ to describe something you must do. Ex: 8時までにかえらなければなりません。The verb's ない-form drops the い。However I've also seen なければ used with nouns like, コロナがなければ、人に会える。Why does it still have the "な” in front of it even though there wasn't a ない-form verb with a chopped off ”い”。Is なければ it's own word by itself? ありがとうございました。

Question

Answer

Ah, sorry now I've got what you want to know.

8時までにかえらなければなりません。
In this case, なければなりません。（なければならない）is rengo, idiom. We use this expression and we say so.
https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%81%AA%E3%81%91%E3%82%8C%E3%81%B0%E3%81%AA%E3%82%89%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84

コロナがなければ、人に会える。
In this case, this is ない＋ければ→なければ, as you said,  ない-form drops the い.
They're different.

Answer

The verb's ない-form drops the い。
Yes, that's right. Therefore,
ない＋ければ→なければ

ない is thought to be adjective, in the Japanese grammar.

Answer

Let me explain this grammar from the beginning. E rhyming and ば means if. For example 行けば わかる means if you go you will understand. 行かなければ わからない means if you don't go you will not understand.

コロナが なければ  the verb we use here is ない which is the opposite of ある which means exist. But ない conjugate like  i adjectives.
コロナが なければ means if コロナ doesn't exist

If you have more questions to ask me please request my lesson.

Answer

Let me explain this grammar from the beginning. E rhyming and ば means if. For example 行けば わかる means if you go you will understand. 行かなければ わからない means if you don't go you will not understand.

コロナが なければ  the verb we use here is ない which is a opposite of ある which means exist. But ない conjugate like  i adjectives.
コロナが なければ means if コロナ doesn't exist

If you have more questions to ask me please request my lesson.

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