What does deber mean in English?

Deber means "to owe/should" in English.

How do you conjugate deber in Spanish?

Deber is conjugated across all Spanish tenses including present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, subjunctive, and more. Each tense has specific conjugations for yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, and ellos/ustedes. You can see complete conjugation tables with audio pronunciations on this page.

What are common idiomatic expressions with deber?

Common idiomatic expressions using deber include: "como es debido" (as it should be / properly), "debe de ser" (it must be / it probably is), "cumplir con el deber" (to do one's duty). These expressions are frequently used in everyday Spanish conversation.

What should I know about using deber?

Deber is a regular -er verb expressing obligation or duty

How do you use deber in a sentence?

Example: "Debo estudiar para el examen." which means "I must study for the exam." in English.

What are synonyms for deber?

Spanish synonyms for deber include: tener que, haber de. The exact synonym to use depends on the context and specific meaning intended.

Deber

to owe/should

🎯

Infinitive (infinitivo)

Base form of the verb

deber

🏃

Gerund (gerundio)

Present participle (-ing form)

debiendo

📋

Past Participle

Used in compound tenses

debido

Simple Tenses

⚡

Present Indicative (presente de indicativo)

Present actions and habitual activities

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	debo I owe/should	I owe/should
tú	debes you owe/should	you owe/should
él/ella/usted	debe he/she/you owe/shoulds	he/she/you owe/shoulds
nosotros	debemos we owe/should	we owe/should
vosotros	debéis you all owe/should	you all owe/should
ellos/ustedes	deben they/you all owe/should	they/you all owe/should

🕰️

Imperfect Indicative (imperfecto de indicativo)

Ongoing past actions and descriptions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	debía I used to owe/should	I used to owe/should
tú	debías you used to owe/should	you used to owe/should
él/ella/usted	debía he/she/you used to owe/should	he/she/you used to owe/should
nosotros	debíamos we used to owe/should	we used to owe/should
vosotros	debíais you all used to owe/should	you all used to owe/should
ellos/ustedes	debían they/you all used to owe/should	they/you all used to owe/should

📅

Preterit (pretérito)

Completed past actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	debí I owe/shoulded	I owe/shoulded
tú	debiste you owe/shoulded	you owe/shoulded
él/ella/usted	debió he/she/you owe/shoulded	he/she/you owe/shoulded
nosotros	debimos we owe/shoulded	we owe/shoulded
vosotros	debisteis you all owe/shoulded	you all owe/shoulded
ellos/ustedes	debieron they/you all owe/shoulded	they/you all owe/shoulded

🔮

Future (futuro)

Future actions and intentions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	deberé I will owe/should	I will owe/should
tú	deberás you will owe/should	you will owe/should
él/ella/usted	deberá he/she/you will owe/should	he/she/you will owe/should
nosotros	deberemos we will owe/should	we will owe/should
vosotros	deberéis you all will owe/should	you all will owe/should
ellos/ustedes	deberán they/you all will owe/should	they/you all will owe/should

🎯

Conditional (potencial simple)

Hypothetical and conditional actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	debería I would owe/should	I would owe/should
tú	deberías you would owe/should	you would owe/should
él/ella/usted	debería he/she/you would owe/should	he/she/you would owe/should
nosotros	deberíamos we would owe/should	we would owe/should
vosotros	deberíais you all would owe/should	you all would owe/should
ellos/ustedes	deberían they/you all would owe/should	they/you all would owe/should

💭

Present Subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo)

Subjective present actions and desires

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	deba that I owe/should	that I owe/should
tú	debas that you owe/should	that you owe/should
él/ella/usted	deba that he/she/you owe/should	that he/she/you owe/should
nosotros	debamos that we owe/should	that we owe/should
vosotros	debáis that you all owe/should	that you all owe/should
ellos/ustedes	deban that they/you all owe/should	that they/you all owe/should

🌙

Imperfect Subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective past actions and hypothetical situations

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	debiera or debiese that I owe/shoulded	that I owe/shoulded
tú	debieras or debieses that you owe/shoulded	that you owe/shoulded
él/ella/usted	debiera or debiese that he/she/you owe/shoulded	that he/she/you owe/shoulded
nosotros	debiéramos or debiésemos that we owe/shoulded	that we owe/shoulded
vosotros	debierais or debieseis that you all owe/shoulded	that you all owe/shoulded
ellos/ustedes	debieran or debiesen that they/you all owe/shoulded	that they/you all owe/shoulded

Compound Tenses

✅

Present Perfect (perfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed recently or with present relevance

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	he debido I have owe/shoulded	I have owe/shoulded
tú	has debido you have owe/shoulded	you have owe/shoulded
él/ella/usted	ha debido he/she/you have owe/shoulded	he/she/you have owe/shoulded
nosotros	hemos debido we have owe/shoulded	we have owe/shoulded
vosotros	habéis debido you all have owe/shoulded	you all have owe/shoulded
ellos/ustedes	han debido they/you all have owe/shoulded	they/you all have owe/shoulded

⏪

Pluperfect Indicative (pluscuamperfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	había debido I had owe/shoulded	I had owe/shoulded
tú	habías debido you had owe/shoulded	you had owe/shoulded
él/ella/usted	había debido he/she/you had owe/shoulded	he/she/you had owe/shoulded
nosotros	habíamos debido we had owe/shoulded	we had owe/shoulded
vosotros	habíais debido you all had owe/shoulded	you all had owe/shoulded
ellos/ustedes	habían debido they/you all had owe/shoulded	they/you all had owe/shoulded

📍

Preterit Perfect (pretérito anterior)

Actions completed immediately before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hube debido I had owe/shoulded	I had owe/shoulded
tú	hubiste debido you had owe/shoulded	you had owe/shoulded
él/ella/usted	hubo debido he/she/you had owe/shoulded	he/she/you had owe/shoulded
nosotros	hubimos debido we had owe/shoulded	we had owe/shoulded
vosotros	hubisteis debido you all had owe/shoulded	you all had owe/shoulded
ellos/ustedes	hubieron debido they/you all had owe/shoulded	they/you all had owe/shoulded

🎊

Future Perfect (futuro perfecto)

Actions that will be completed by a future time

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habré debido I will have owe/shoulded	I will have owe/shoulded
tú	habrás debido you will have owe/shoulded	you will have owe/shoulded
él/ella/usted	habrá debido he/she/you will have owe/shoulded	he/she/you will have owe/shoulded
nosotros	habremos debido we will have owe/shoulded	we will have owe/shoulded
vosotros	habréis debido you all will have owe/shoulded	you all will have owe/shoulded
ellos/ustedes	habrán debido they/you all will have owe/shoulded	they/you all will have owe/shoulded

🔄

Conditional Perfect (potencial compuesto)

Actions that would have been completed under certain conditions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habría debido I would have owe/shoulded	I would have owe/shoulded
tú	habrías debido you would have owe/shoulded	you would have owe/shoulded
él/ella/usted	habría debido he/she/you would have owe/shoulded	he/she/you would have owe/shoulded
nosotros	habríamos debido we would have owe/shoulded	we would have owe/shoulded
vosotros	habríais debido you all would have owe/shoulded	you all would have owe/shoulded
ellos/ustedes	habrían debido they/you all would have owe/shoulded	they/you all would have owe/shoulded

💫

Subjunctive Present Perfect (perfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed in relation to the present

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	haya debido that I have owe/shoulded	that I have owe/shoulded
tú	hayas debido that you have owe/shoulded	that you have owe/shoulded
él/ella/usted	haya debido that he/she/you have owe/shoulded	that he/she/you have owe/shoulded
nosotros	hayamos debido that we have owe/shoulded	that we have owe/shoulded
vosotros	hayáis debido that you all have owe/shoulded	that you all have owe/shoulded
ellos/ustedes	hayan debido that they/you all have owe/shoulded	that they/you all have owe/shoulded

🌌

Subjunctive Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hubiera debido that I had owe/shoulded	that I had owe/shoulded
tú	hubieras debido that you had owe/shoulded	that you had owe/shoulded
él/ella/usted	hubiera debido that he/she/you had owe/shoulded	that he/she/you had owe/shoulded
nosotros	hubiéramos debido that we had owe/shoulded	that we had owe/shoulded
vosotros	hubierais debido that you all had owe/shoulded	that you all had owe/shoulded
ellos/ustedes	hubieran debido that they/you all had owe/shoulded	that they/you all had owe/shoulded

❗

Commands (imperativo)

Commands and direct orders

Person	Command	English
tú	debe	owe/should! (you)
usted	deba	owe/should! (you formal)
nosotros	debamos	let's owe/should!
vosotros	debed	owe/should! (you all)
ustedes	deban	owe/should! (you all)

🚫

Negative Commands (imperativo negativo)

Negative commands and prohibitions

Person	Command	English
tú	no debas	don't owe/should! (you)
usted	no deba	don't owe/should! (you formal)
nosotros	no debamos	let's not owe/should!
vosotros	no debáis	don't owe/should! (you all)
ustedes	no deban	don't owe/should! (you all)

More About "deber"

Idiomatic Expressions

como es debido

as it should be / properly

💡 Doing something correctly or appropriately

debe de ser

it must be / it probably is

💡 Expressing supposition or probability

cumplir con el deber

to do one's duty

💡 Fulfilling one's obligations

Examples in Context

Debo estudiar para el examen.

I must study for the exam.

Present

Debía llamarla ayer.

I should have called her yesterday.

Imperfect

Debes hacer tu tarea.

You should do your homework.

Present

Debería comer más saludable.

I should eat healthier.

Conditional

He debido olvidar mi cartera.

I must have forgotten my wallet.

Present Perfect

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

tener que(to have to)

Stronger obligation, more common in speech

haber de(to be supposed to)

Archaic or literary, softer obligation

Usage Notes

•Deber is a regular -er verb expressing obligation or duty
•Deber + infinitive = should/must/ought to (moral obligation)
•Deber de + infinitive = must/probably (supposition)
•The distinction between deber and deber de is often blurred in modern Spanish
•As a noun, "el deber" means duty or homework
•Conditional "debería" expresses suggestions or advice
•Different from "tener que" which expresses stronger, external obligation
•Past forms often translate as "should have" in English

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Deber

Simple Tenses

Compound Tenses

More About "deber"

Synonyms:

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