Poll: What is the opposite of 'must'?

Paulina

I guess I'm right?

hemant

i think mustnt is right but i am not sure about it what is?

SAMAH

Thank you so much for every thing

pretty

I personally think if you been asked what is running and you say its to run you have not answered the question.....same as the opposite of must.......

pretty

I'm totally. Sure don't. Have to is right

Jani

I must do this means about the same as I have to do this.
The opposite is I don't have to do this.
I mustn't do this.= I'm not allowed to do this.

Jack

What does ''opposite of 'must'' mean here? Does it mean 'be allowed to' as in 'Cars may be parked here' or 'be nort allowed' as in 'Cars must not be parked here'?

zizozaki75

don t have expresses lack of necessity

tom3m

I think opposite is an insufficient definition here.

attraction

Mustn't of course (negative imperative form:))

jhambel

Must is an extremely irregular and finite modal. There is no past verb form and no future verb form. We switch to have to, or needed to when changing tense.A further complication is that must (as an obligation) is not negated by must not. Since must not means that one is obliged to NOT do something. The opposite of obligation? is don't have to / need to. It negates obligation. This is kinda like teacher training 101 it seems......

matejk

I agree with u jmhabel...opposite to must is dont have to...since mustnt is a STRONG obligation not to do something. I must OR have to do something denotes my obligation based on the context (someone telling me to do so OR my personal beliefe/persuasion that it is right this way). So therefore mustnt is NOT the opposite to must.