Introduction to “Mustn’t Be”
The modal construction “mustn’t be” is used to express strong prohibition, necessity of avoidance, or logical deduction in the present/future. It conveys that something is not allowed, should not exist, or is certainly not true.
This structure is essential for giving strong warnings, stating rules, or making negative deductions in both formal and informal English.
Table of Contents
- Core Meanings & Uses of “Mustn’t Be”
- Grammatical Structures & Sentence Patterns
- 10 Practical Examples with Hindi Translations
- “Mustn’t Be” vs. Similar Constructions
- Common Errors & How to Avoid Them
- Practice Exercises (Test Yourself)
- Conclusion & Key Takeaways
1. Core Meanings & Uses of “Mustn’t Be”
1. Prohibition (मनाही)
- Used to forbid something strongly.
- Example: You mustn’t be late for the exam. (तुम्हें परीक्षा के लिए देर नहीं करनी चाहिए।)
2. Necessity of Avoidance (टालने की आवश्यकता)
- Indicates something must be avoided.
- Example: This medicine mustn’t be taken empty stomach. (यह दवा खाली पेट नहीं लेनी चाहिए।)
3. Negative Deduction (नकारात्मक निष्कर्ष)
- Expresses certainty that something isn’t true.
- Example: He mustn’t be home – his lights are off. (वह घर पर नहीं होगा – उसके लाइट बंद हैं।)
2. Grammatical Structures & Sentence Patterns
| Sentence Type | Structure | Example | Hindi Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affirmative (Prohibition) | Subject + mustn’t be + adjective/noun | Children mustn’t be unsupervised here. | बच्चों को यहाँ बिना निगरानी के नहीं रहना चाहिए। |
| Negative (Deduction) | Subject + mustn’t be + negative adjective | This mustn’t be easy for you. | यह तुम्हारे लिए आसान नहीं होगा। |
| Interrogative | Must + subject + not be + adjective/noun? | Mustn’t the documents be ready by now? | क्या दस्तावेज़ अब तक तैयार नहीं होने चाहिए? |
3. 10 Practical Examples with Hindi Translations
| S.No | English Example | Hindi Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | You mustn’t be careless while driving. | तुम्हें गाड़ी चलाते समय लापरवाह नहीं होना चाहिए। |
| 2 | The answer mustn’t be wrong – check again. | जवाब गलत नहीं होना चाहिए – फिर से जाँचो। |
| 3 | Students mustn’t be noisy in the library. | छात्रों को लाइब्रेरी में शोर नहीं करना चाहिए। |
| 4 | This information mustn’t be shared. | यह जानकारी साझा नहीं की जानी चाहिए। |
| 5 | The door mustn’t be left open at night. | रात में दरवाजा खुला नहीं छोड़ना चाहिए। |
| 6 | He mustn’t be serious about quitting. | वह नौकरी छोड़ने के बारे में गंभीर नहीं होगा। |
| 7 | The package mustn’t be heavy. | पैकेज भारी नहीं होना चाहिए। |
| 8 | Visitors mustn’t be disrespectful. | आगंतुकों को अनादर नहीं करना चाहिए। |
| 9 | Your phone mustn’t be switched on here. | यहाँ तुम्हारा फोन चालू नहीं होना चाहिए। |
| 10 | The solution mustn’t be complicated. | समाधान जटिल नहीं होना चाहिए। |
4. “Mustn’t Be” vs. Similar Constructions
| Construction | Nuance | Usage Context | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mustn’t be | Strong prohibition/negative deduction | Rules, warnings, certain negatives | You mustn’t be rude. |
| Shouldn’t be | Advice against (weaker than mustn’t) | Suggestions, less strict rules | You shouldn’t be late. |
| Can’t be | Impossibility (not prohibition) | Logical impossibilities | He can’t be at home. |
5. Common Errors & How to Avoid Them
Incorrect: You mustn’t to be late.
Correct: You mustn’t be late.
Incorrect: She mustn’t be not careful. Correct: She mustn’t be careless.
Incorrect: Mustn’t they to be here? Correct: Mustn’t they be here?
6. Practice Exercises
Section 1: Fill in the Blanks
- Passengers __________ standing while the train is moving.
- __________ the results __________ incorrect?
- This __________ the right address – look again.
- Students __________ distracted during lectures.
- The food __________ stale if stored properly.
Section 2: Hindi to English Translation
- तुम्हें इस मामले में लापरवाह नहीं होना चाहिए।
- क्या उसे अब तक तैयार नहीं होना चाहिए?
- यहाँ धूम्रपान नहीं करना चाहिए।
- वह दावा सच नहीं होना चाहिए।
- बच्चों को अकेले नदी के पास नहीं होना चाहिए।
Section 3: Error Correction
- You mustn’t to be absent tomorrow.
- The files mustn’t are missing.
- Mustn’t she be not worried?
- This mustn’t be the wrong decision.
- Guests mustn’t be allow here.
7. Conclusion & Key Takeaways
- “Mustn’t be” expresses prohibition, necessity of avoidance, or negative deduction.
- Structure: Subject + mustn’t be + adjective/noun.
- Stronger than “shouldn’t be” – use for strict rules.
- Not used for past prohibition (use “wasn’t/were not allowed to be” instead).
Pro Tip: For deductions, “mustn’t be” = certainly isn’t, while “can’t be” = impossibly isn’t.
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