be supposed to
The phrase "be supposed to" is used to indicate expectations, obligations, or beliefs about what should happen or be done.
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🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
B1General Use
(common)To be expected to do something according to rules, customs, or plans.
Example
- You are supposed to arrive at work by 9 AM.
- Students are supposed to submit their assignments on time.
B1Obligations
(common)To have a duty or responsibility to perform an action.
Example
- He is supposed to take out the trash every evening.
- We are supposed to wear helmets while riding bikes.
B2Beliefs
(common)To be generally believed or assumed to have a certain quality or characteristic.
Example
- This medicine is supposed to relieve pain quickly.
- The new software is supposed to be very user-friendly.
B2Permissions and Prohibitions
(common)To indicate what is allowed or not allowed according to rules or policies.
Example
- You are not supposed to park here.
- Employees are supposed to follow the company's dress code.
B2Impossibility or Unreasonableness
(common, interrogative)To suggest that an expectation is impossible or unreasonable in a given context.
Example
- How am I supposed to finish this project in one day?
- Was I supposed to know that information?
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "be supposed to":