[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/must.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / must [← M](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/M/) # must «must» in Mova's school dictionary: **needed or it is a rule: «You must wear shoes.»** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it. ### part of speech verb (must — modal, no other forms; must not, mustn't; must have); noun (a must — informal) ### meaning for a pupil 1) Must means something has to happen; it is needed or it is a rule: «You must wear shoes.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#m1) 2) Must also means you are almost sure something is true: «You must be tired.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#m2) 3) «Must not» means it is not allowed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#m3) 4) A must is something you really should do or have: «Sunscreen is a must.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#m4) 5) «Must have» + past form means you are almost sure about the past: «It must have rained.» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#m5) 6) (casual) «Gotta» and «have to» are the everyday words for must: «gotta go», «I've gotta save 30 more». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#m6) 7) (rough, sarcastic) «Must you?» means stop it, you are annoying; «if you must» means I don't like it, but fine. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#m7) 8) (formal) «Shall», «is required to», «is obliged to» and «it is necessary that» are the stiff words: «Each candidate shall provide…» [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#m8) ### sense 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 →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x1) - He must save 30 dollars more. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x2) - Each box must hold 6 eggs. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x3) - How many buses must they rent? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x4) - You must not swim without a grown-up. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x5) - Everyone must wear a helmet on a bike. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x6) - The grass is wet, so it must have rained. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x7) - You must be hungry after the long walk. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x8) - gotta get 30 more bucks before sat, how many weeks at 5 a week (casual) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x9) - Must you bang that drum? Give it a rest. (rough) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x10) - That film is a must-see. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x11) - Each vehicle is required to accommodate 40 passengers; determine the minimum number of vehicles necessitated for 130 persons. (formal exam) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x12) - I must know more of them." [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/#x13) ### 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 the corpora - [A debit card spends money already in the account; a credit card borrows money that must be paid back later.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/7-cards-banks-and-apps/2/) - [Parents often make a shortlist of names, and the name must be registered officially within a few weeks of the birth.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/18-were-having-a-baby/17/) - ["When the fun stops, stop" is a warning betting adverts must include, because gambling can become an addiction.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/28-smoking-vaping-and-betting/15/) - [A siren and flashing blue lights mean police are rushing to an emergency, and other drivers must pull over to let them through.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/30-police-courts-and-prison/5/) - [A speed camera photographs cars going over the limit, and the driver must pay a fine and may get points on their licence.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/30-police-courts-and-prison/15/) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every meaning and example of «must» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/must/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.