We must have been

Question

I don't understand "we must have been "  That means Pls Help

HotWombat · Accepted Answer

'Have you and your husband ever been to Australia?'
'Yes, we have been there.'

'Did you and your husband go to Steve's party on Christmas Eve?'
'I don't remember. We went to a lot of parties that night.'
'Steve said he was talking to you there.'
'Oh, we must have been there. I forgot.'

Any help?

Miriam · Answer

"We must have been at the station for an hour before the train arrived."
Meaning "I'm not sure how long exactly we waited, but it is my opinion/feeling that we waited/were at the station for about an hour."

"I can't remember what happened after the attack, I fainted. I must have been hit on the head."
Meaning "I am not sure what happened/I don't know what happened, but it seems reasonable to assume that someone hit me on the head. That's probably why I fainted."

In one of its meanings, "must" has an imperative quality suggesting a command or an obligation. "You must try harder" means "it is your obligation" to do so.
The use of must, however, is different in the construction you posted. It implies a logical conclusion, something that seems the only reasonable explanation. It means "I don't know the facts with certainty, so I'm offering what seems to be a sensible explanation."

When the meaning of must is "logical conclusion", the usual negative is "cannot":
A: "We were at the station from 3 to 4 pm."
B: "Are you sure? We cannot have waited that long."

I hope it helps.

Miriam

Maj · Answer

That sounds pretty reasonable. What about the following use: 'You must tell me what you want me to do'. Is it a logical conclusion?

Miriam · Answer

"You must think I know the answer to that."
That's a logical conclusion! ~winks~

We must have been

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