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The Verb Deber (to Owe / Must / Should) in Spanish – Lesson 67
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(Lesson summary)
Learn deber (to owe, must, should): debo, debes, debe, debemos, debéis, deben. Find out when it means must / should and when it means to owe.
- Deber in the present tense
- Deber + verb = must / should
- Deber + thing = to owe
- La factura vs la cuenta
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(The full lesson)
Deber: to owe, must, should
Another yellow verb lesson! Today’s verb is deber, and it has a few meanings: to owe, must and should. Which one it is depends on the sentence. Good news: it’s a completely regular verb!
As always: copy the table into your notebook and fill it in yourself.
Deber conjugation: present tense
| Pronoun | Deber | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | debo | I owe / must / should |
| tú | debes | you owe / must / should |
| él / ella / usted | debe | he / she owes / must / should |
| nosotros / nosotras | debemos | we owe / must / should |
| vosotros / vosotras | debéis | you all owe / must / should (Spain) |
| ustedes | deben | you all owe / must / should |
| ellos / ellas | deben | they owe / must / should |
Just the stem deb- + the regular -er endings from lesson 37. No surprises!
Must or should: deber + verb
When deber is followed by another verb, it means must or should. Just like the helper verbs from lesson 45, only deber changes, and the second verb stays in its basic form:
Debo estudiar español. I should study Spanish.
Debes llegar a tiempo. You must arrive on time.
Debemos colaborar. We should work together.
Ustedes deben quedarse. You all should stay.
Is it “must” or “should”? That depends on the context and your tone of voice. With exclamation marks, it sounds more like an order:
Vosotros debéis ayudar. You all should help.
¡Vosotras debéis ayudar! You all must help!
To owe: deber + thing
When deber is followed by a thing (like money or a bill), it means to owe:
Él debe la factura. He owes the bill (invoice).
Ella debe la cuenta. She owes the bill (at a restaurant).
Te debo diez euros. I owe you ten euros.
No me deben nada. They don’t owe me anything.
Two words for “the bill”: la factura is an invoice or a bill like your electricity bill. La cuenta is the bill at a restaurant or café, which we saw in the café lesson. And notice the double negative in no me deben nada (lesson 51).
(Wes’s tip)
Deber + verb = must / should (debo estudiar). Deber + thing = to owe (debo diez euros).
Recap: deber
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| yo debo | I owe / must / should |
| tú debes | you owe / must / should |
| él / ella / usted debe | he / she owes, you (formal) owe |
| nosotros / nosotras debemos | we owe / must / should |
+ 3 more verb forms
Get all 7 verb forms on one printable page, with examples and my tips. Free, straight to your inbox.
Get the free PDF ↓Practice: deber
Fill in the right form of deber. Say it out loud, then click to check.
1. Yo ___ estudiar más. (I should study more.)
Yo debo estudiar más.
2. Tú ___ llegar a tiempo. (You must arrive on time.)
Tú debes llegar a tiempo.
3. Ella me ___ veinte euros. (She owes me twenty euros.)
Ella me debe veinte euros.
4. Nosotros ___ colaborar. (We should work together.)
Nosotros debemos colaborar.
5. Ellos no me ___ nada. (They don’t owe me anything.)
Ellos no me deben nada.
6. Say “I owe you ten euros”.
Te debo diez euros.
Quiz: deber
8 questions. ¡Debes hacerlo!
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between “deber” and “tener que”?
Both can mean “must” or “have to”. Tener que (I have to) is very common for things you’re obliged to do: tengo que trabajar. Deber sounds more like a duty or advice: debes descansar (you should rest).
How do I say “I should” more softly?
Use debería (I should / I ought to): debería estudiar más. It’s a different verb form we’ll learn later, but it’s so common that it’s worth recognizing already.
Before you go to the next lesson
You deberías practice deber a few times before moving on. Grab the free reference sheet below. ¡Hasta la próxima!
(Free reference sheet)
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