Gramática › Modal Verbs "have to/must/should"
Mustn't, don't have to y shouldn't
450 ejercicios de huecos, 45 tests de diez
Mustn't prohíbe. Don't have to dice que no hace falta. No son lo mismo.
Practica esta forma
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La diferencia, dicha sin rodeos
- mustn’t = hay una norma que lo prohíbe. You mustn’t park on the crossing.
- don’t have to = no hay norma en ningún sentido. You don’t have to wear a tie.
Una prueba rápida: si se le puede añadir if you like, la frase pide don’t have to.
shouldn’t en medio
Shouldn’t aconseja en contra, no prohíbe:
You shouldn’t drive when you’re this tired.
Nadie te lo prohíbe; te están diciendo que es mala idea.
El pasado
Mustn’t no tiene pasado. Para algo que estuvo prohibido, el inglés usa wasn’t allowed to o couldn’t:
We weren’t allowed to leave the building.
Didn’t have to es el pasado de don’t have to:
We didn’t have to pay — it was included.
needn’t
Needn’t significa lo mismo que don’t have to y es más frecuente en inglés británico:
You needn’t wait.
Fíjate en la diferencia en pasado: needn’t have done significa que lo hiciste y no hacía falta, mientras didn’t need to do suele significar que no lo hiciste en absoluto.
Dónde se tuerce para un hispanohablante
Aquí el español juega a favor: «no debes» y «no tienes que» ya significan cosas distintas, así que la pareja inglesa se entiende sola. Donde conviene mirar es en la traducción al revés: al leer You don’t have to come, la lectura es «no hace falta que vengas», no «no debes venir».
Y el pasado: «no nos dejaban salir» es We weren’t allowed to leave, porque mustn’t no tiene pasado.
Todas las formas
| Forma | Significado | Ejemplo |
|---|---|---|
| mustn't | prohibido | You mustn't smoke in here. |
| don't have to | no hace falta | You don't have to come. |
| doesn't have to | no hace falta | She doesn't have to come. |
| shouldn't | poco sensato | You shouldn't eat so late. |
| didn't have to | no hizo falta | We didn't have to pay. |
Ejemplos
Tomados de las 450 frases de este ejercicio. La respuesta va resaltada.
- You don't have to wear a jacket. It's hot outside.
- I shouldn't forget to buy milk, it's an important item on the shopping list.
- We mustn't eat this cake, it's for a special occasion.
- He doesn't have to submit his work by tomorrow, there's no deadline.
- I don't have to call my mom later, it's not urgent.
- The doctor said Susan shouldn't eat sugary foods because of her condition.
- He mustn't talk during the movie or he will disturb others.
- He doesn't have to check his email constantly, once a day is enough.
- You don't have to watch that movie. It's not worth your time.
- You shouldn't forget to water the plants when you go on vacation.
- Children mustn't play near the lock gates; the sign forbids it.
- She doesn't have to tell you if she doesn't want to.
Errores que evitar
Incorrecto: You mustn't bring food, but you can if you want. correcto: You don't have to bring food, but you can if you want.
Mustn't prohíbe, y eso contradice el resto de la frase.
Incorrecto: She doesn't must work on Sundays. correcto: She doesn't have to work on Sundays.
Must no lleva nunca do. El negativo de una obligación que ya no existe es don't have to.