mustn't
English
Etymology
must + -n't
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmʌs.n̩t/
Audio (US) (file)
Verb
mustn't
- must not (negative auxiliary[1]); used to indicate that something is forbidden or, in a tag question, that something is not necessary.
- You mustn't blame yourself for this tragedy.
- We must go, mustn't we?
- 1906, Edith Nesbit, The Railway Children, Chapter 4: The engine-burglar,
- "Now, listen," said Mother; "it's quite true that we're poor, but we have enough to live on. You mustn't go telling everyone about our affairs--it's not right. And you must never, never, never ask strangers to give you things. Now always remember that--won't you?"
- 1989: Batman (movie)
- Look, we mustn't mistake ourselves for regular people. We're artists.
Related terms
- shouldn't
- can't
- oughtn't
See also
- Appendix:English modal verbs
- Appendix:English tag questions
References
- Arnold M. Zwicky and Geoffrey K. Pullum, Cliticization vs. Inflection: English n’t, Language 59 (3), 1983, pp. 502-513