May, Might, Could, and Must for Deductions

What you’ll learn

Express how certain a conclusion seems.

សន្និដ្ឋានពីភស្តុតាង និងបង្ហាញកម្រិតប្រាកដប្រជា។

Meaning and use

May, might, and could can express a possible explanation. Must expresses a strong positive deduction from evidence; cannot expresses a strong negative deduction. These are judgments, not mathematical certainty or fixed percentages. Distinguish deduction must from must meaning obligation by considering the context.

May, might និង could បង្ហាញលទ្ធភាព។ Must បង្ហាញការសន្និដ្ឋានយ៉ាងមុតមាំ ហើយ cannot បង្ហាញថាមិនអាចជាការពិតតាមភស្តុតាងដែលមាន។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Possible explanation	may/might/could + base
Strong deduction	must be / cannot be

Examples

1. Dara might be at the library.

   ដារ៉ាប្រហែលជានៅបណ្ណាល័យ។

2. The shop could be closed today.

   ហាងប្រហែលជាបិទថ្ងៃនេះ។

3. You must be tired after that journey.

   អ្នកប្រាកដជាហត់ក្រោយការធ្វើដំណើរនោះ។

4. That cannot be Maly; she is abroad.

   នោះមិនអាចជាម៉ាលីទេ ព្រោះនាងនៅក្រៅប្រទេស។

Everyday conversation

Dara: The lights are on upstairs.

Maly: Someone might be working late. It cannot be Dara; he left with us.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
She might to know.	She might know.	A modal takes a base verb without to.
It must be not true. (strong negative deduction)	It cannot be true.	Cannot is the usual strong negative deduction.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Choose a strong positive deduction: You ran ten kilometres. You ___ be tired.
2. Choose a possibility, not a certainty: The noise ___ be the wind.
3. Does must in You must be cold express a rule?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. must

   The evidence supports a strong conclusion.

2. might / may / could

   Each expresses a possible explanation here.

3. No. It is normally a deduction.

   The speaker infers how the person feels from the situation.

Quick recap

• Possible explanation: may/might/could + base
• Strong deduction: must be / cannot be