"MUST NOT" Meaning in BSL

[LAH]

English:
Mickey, you must = You have to // It is obligatory // There is no choice
Mickey, you must not = You are not allowed to // It is against the rules


German:
River, you must (Du musst) = You have to // It is obligatory // There is no choice
River, you must not (Du musst nicht) = You don't have to // It is not obligatory // There is a choice


Which is it in BSL, like English or German? Or maybe neither?

[Dominic Laventine]

According to the textbook we use, there are at least 8 ways to negate a verb in bsl. 

Some of them are non-manual features that would be done during the sign, like shaking your head during <must>. 

Others are individual signs, added before or after the verb, like <not>.

Some of the signs have particular uses, like <don't>, that could replace the verb in a comment, or go before/after it.

 

[LAH]

That's awesome, thank you!

So then, if you signed MUST while shaking your head and using negative expression, would that mean "not allowed to" or "don't have to"?

Thanks! Lucy

[Lea]

Sign not allowed- both hands in number 7 position with index fingers pointing to each other and shake up and down together, mouthing ‘not alliwed’.

If you sign must it should be for ‘you must be nice’ ‘must walk’ ‘must stop that’ etc but not used in ‘must not’. Use ‘not allowed’ or ‘have to’ which is signed like must but raise eyebrows and mouth ‘have to’ rather than ‘must’.

[LAH]

Thank you very much Lea!