can't & must not

AlexanderA2Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

can't & must not

What are the equivalents for can't & must not for logical conclusions in Spanish? That is, how can I express the difference in meanings given in the following examples?

(present)

The restaurant can't be open - the door is locked

The restaurant must not be any good - it is always empty

(Past)

He had left the office at 6:00 p.m. He can't /couldn't have been at home at 6:05 p.m

She was not answering the doorbell. She must not have been at home then.

Regards,

Alexander

Asked 5 years ago
InmaKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hi Alexander,

For "The restaurant can't be open - the door is locked" you could say:

El restaurante no se puede abrir- La puerta está cerrada.

For "The restaurant must not be any good - it is always empty" you could say:

El restaurante no debe ser muy bueno - siempre está vacío.

For "He had left the office at 6:00 p.m. He can't /couldn't have been at home at 6:05 p.m you could say:

Él se había ido de la oficina a las 6. No puede haber estado en casa a las 6.05/No podía haber estado en casa a las 6.05.

For "She was not answering the doorbell. She must not have been at home then"  you could say:

No contestaba al timbre. No debe de haber estado en casa entonces.

Saludos

Inma

can't & must not

What are the equivalents for can't & must not for logical conclusions in Spanish? That is, how can I express the difference in meanings given in the following examples?

(present)

The restaurant can't be open - the door is locked

The restaurant must not be any good - it is always empty

(Past)

He had left the office at 6:00 p.m. He can't /couldn't have been at home at 6:05 p.m

She was not answering the doorbell. She must not have been at home then.

Regards,

Alexander

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