must

Everyday

1. Must means something has to happen; it is needed or it is a rule: «You must wear shoes.» tree →
2. Must also means you are almost sure something is true: «You must be tired.» tree →
3. «Must not» means it is not allowed. tree →
4. A must is something you really should do or have: «Sunscreen is a must.» tree →
5. «Must have» + past form means you are almost sure about the past: «It must have rained.» tree →
6. (casual) «Gotta» and «have to» are the everyday words for must: «gotta go», «I've gotta save 30 more». tree →
7. (rough, sarcastic) «Must you?» means stop it, you are annoying; «if you must» means I don't like it, but fine. tree →
8. (formal) «Shall», «is required to», «is obliged to» and «it is necessary that» are the stiff words: «Each candidate shall provide…» tree →

In the lessons

a need or rule in the story: how many must be bought, how far one must go, how much more one must save; in safety rules «you must» and «you must not»; in logic «it must be» shows a sure conclusion; in casual talk «gotta», «have to», «need to»; in the exam voice «is required to», «shall»; phrases «must have», «a must», «must-see», «if you must»

Examples

• How many more pages must she read? tree →
• He must save 30 dollars more. tree →
• Each box must hold 6 eggs. tree →
• How many buses must they rent? tree →
• You must not swim without a grown-up. tree →
• Everyone must wear a helmet on a bike. tree →
• The grass is wet, so it must have rained. tree →
• You must be hungry after the long walk. tree →
• gotta get 30 more bucks before sat, how many weeks at 5 a week (casual) tree →
• Must you bang that drum? Give it a rest. (rough) tree →
• That film is a must-see. tree →
• Each vehicle is required to accommodate 40 passengers; determine the minimum number of vehicles necessitated for 130 persons. (formal exam) tree →
• I must know more of them." tree →

Note

«Must still» or «more … must» often asks for what is left: need − have. «How many buses must they rent» often needs rounding up after dividing. Trap: when you divide, do not drop the part left over if one more bus or box is needed. Must has no -s and no past form: «she must», not «she musts»; use «had to» for the past. «Must not» (forbidden) differs from «don't have to» (not needed). «Gotta» = have got to (casual, spoken only). Formal «is required to» and «shall» = must. «Must be» can be a guess, not a rule: «you must be Tom» means I think you are Tom.

In Jewish tradition

It is used in the usual way, meaning has to, and it shows what a person is bound to do under God's command.

Interpretation. Balaam's words show that a prophet can speak only what God puts in his mouth.

Examples

• And he answered and said: 'Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD putteth in my mouth?' (Torah NUM.23.12, JPS 1917) tree →
• But Balaam answered and said unto Balak: 'Told not I thee, saying: All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?' (Torah NUM.23.26, JPS 1917) tree →
• And Moses said: 'Thou must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God. (Torah EXO.10.25, JPS 1917) tree →
• And how must the wise man die even as the fool! (Writings ECC.2.16, JPS 1917) tree →
• When I think thereon, O God, I must moan; when I muse thereon, my spirit fainteth. (Writings PSA.77.4, JPS 1917) tree →
• For thou loathest it, so that thou must choose, and not I; therefore speak what thou knowest. (Writings JOB.34.33, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

«Must still» or «more … must» often asks for what is left: need − have. «How many buses must they rent» often needs rounding up after dividing. Trap: when you divide, do not drop the part left over if one more bus or box is needed. Must has no -s and no past form: «she must», not «she musts»; use «had to» for the past. «Must not» (forbidden) differs from «don't have to» (not needed). «Gotta» = have got to (casual, spoken only). Formal «is required to» and «shall» = must. «Must be» can be a guess, not a rule: «you must be Tom» means I think you are Tom.