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The predicative нђдо 'must, have to' is ambiguous when the negative particle не precedes: не нђдо can mean either mustn't/shouldn't or don't have to, but the usual interpretation is mustn't/shouldn't.
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The unambiguous way to express don't have to is to use a form of the verb мћчь 'can, be able to' with the particle не placed before the infinitive that accompanies it: ї могџ не писђть 'I don't have to write', вІ мћжете не писђть 'you don't have to write', etc. In these constructions the infinitives are Imperfective.
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In a more conversational style you can omit the words in parentheses.
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Necessity:
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Нђдо убрђть со столђ.
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You have to clear off the table.
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Prohibition:
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Не нђдо убирђть со столђ.
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You mustn't/shouldn't clear off the table.
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No necessity:
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(ВІ) мћжете не убирђть со столђ.
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You don't have to clear off the table.
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Another way of expressing no necessity is to use the predicative не обязђтельно. This is a handy way to give a short answer to a нђдо-question:
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— (Нђдо) убрђть со столђ?
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"Do I/we have to clear off the table?"
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— Нљт, не обязђтельно.
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"No, you/we don't. (It's not required.)"
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— Нљт, (тебљ) не обязђтельно убирђть.
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"No, you don't have to clean up."
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— Нљт, (тІ) мћжешь не убирђть.
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"No, you don't have to clean up."
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— Дђ, обязђтельно.
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"Yes, you/we/someone really must."
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The past tense of не нђдо is не нђдо бІло; it is just as ambiguous as не нђдо. It can mean either shouldn't have or didn't have to.
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— (Тебљ) не нђдо бІло ітого дљлать.
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You didn't have to do that.
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or: You shouldn't have done that.
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