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    Mayn't is a short way to say may not. You glue not onto may and get this little word. It can mean “you are not allowed” (“You mayn't go”) or “it is not possible” — the same two jobs that may not has. People used it more in older British English. Though actually, almost nobody says it now. In speech and in school writing, may not in two words is what people expect. You will still meet mayn't in old books, or when someone is being old-fashioned on purpose. It is the same kind of short form as can't and don't, only much rarer — closer to shan't, which also feels old. Do not mix it up with maybe, which means “perhaps”.

    「may not」的縮寫(多半是舊用法;現在幾乎都寫成 may not)

    例句逐字對照、搭配詞、易混淆字

    這一義的完整解析還沒打開。訂閱後可以看到例句怎麼拆、常跟哪些字一起出現, 以及容易跟它搞混的字。

    看看訂閱內容

組成may + -n't (n't is the short form of not)

同家族的字

  • maythe full verb this shortens
  • can'tsame n't ending, short for cannot
  • don'tsame n't ending, short for do not
  • shan'tsame old-fashioned n't pattern, short for shall not

原始詞典資料1 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法,原文照列,我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的;有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

mayn'tverb/ˈmeɪnt/

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    archaicmay not (negative auxiliary)

    • I mayn't have much head, master, but I’ve head enough to remember those that use me ill.
    • "Now, father," said Nancy, "is there any call for you to go home to tea? Mayn't you just as well stay with us?--such a beautiful evening as it's likely to be."

資料來源:英文維基詞典 English WiktionaryCC BY-SA 4.0)。 原文照列,未經改寫。