How to Conjugate Deber in Spanish
Deber - to owe, should/must
Present Tense
How to Conjugate Spanish verb Deber in the Present Tense
Conjugating the verb "deber" in the present tense is key for expressing obligations, necessities, or recommendations. "Deber" is a regular -er verb in the present tense, which makes its conjugation straightforward and easy to learn.
In the present tense, "deber" is conjugated as follows: "yo debo" (I must/should), "tú debes" (you must/should), "él/ella/usted debe" (he/she/you formal must/should), "nosotros/nosotras debemos" (we must/should), "vosotros/vosotras debéis" (you all must/should), and "ellos/ellas/ustedes deben" (they/you all formal must/should).
Using "deber" in the present tense allows you to talk about duties or obligations, such as "yo debo estudiar para el examen" (I must study for the exam) or "ellos deben llegar a tiempo" (they should arrive on time). "Deber" is commonly used to give advice or state responsibilities, making it a versatile and essential verb for everyday communication in Spanish.
| debo | debemos |
| debes | debéis |
| debe | debentd> |
Preterite Tense
How to Conjugate Spanish verb Deber in the Preterite Tense
Conjugating "deber" in the preterite tense allows you to express a past obligation or necessity that was completed. In this tense, "deber" implies that someone "had to" or "should have" done something in the past and usually implies that the obligation was acted upon or acknowledged in that specific moment.
In the preterite tense, "deber" is conjugated as follows: "yo debí" (I had to/should have), "tú debiste" (you had to/should have), "él/ella/usted debió" (he/she/you formal had to/should have), "nosotros/nosotras debimos" (we had to/should have), "vosotros/vosotras debisteis" (you all had to/should have), and "ellos/ellas/ustedes debieron" (they/you all formal had to/should have).
Using "deber" in the preterite allows you to refer to past responsibilities or actions that were required, such as "yo debí terminar el proyecto ayer" (I had to finish the project yesterday) or "ellos debieron llamar antes de venir" (they should have called before coming). This form is useful for expressing completed obligations or missed responsibilities in Spanish.
| debí | debimos |
| debiste | debisteis |
| debió | debieron |
Future Tense
How to Conjugate Spanish verb Deber in the Future Tense
Conjugating "deber" in the future tense is useful for expressing obligations or responsibilities that will need to be fulfilled. It implies something that someone "will have to" or "will need to" do in the future. "Deber" is a regular verb in the future tense, making it simple to conjugate.
In the future tense, "deber" is conjugated as follows: "yo deberé" (I will have to/should), "tú deberás" (you will have to/should), "él/ella/usted deberá" (he/she/you formal will have to/should), "nosotros/nosotras deberemos" (we will have to/should), "vosotros/vosotras deberéis" (you all will have to/should), and "ellos/ellas/ustedes deberán" (they/you all formal will have to/should).
Using "deber" in the future tense is helpful when discussing obligations that lie ahead, such as "yo deberé estudiar más para el examen final" (I will need to study more for the final exam) or "ellos deberán cumplir con las reglas" (they will have to follow the rules). This tense is essential for planning, setting future expectations, or giving advice about upcoming responsibilities.
| deberé | deberemos |
| deberás | deberéis |
| deberá | deberán |
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Imperfect Tense
How to Conjugate Spanish verb Deber in the Imperfect Tense
Conjugating "deber" in the imperfect tense allows you to express past obligations, duties, or recommendations that were ongoing or habitual. Unlike the preterite, which indicates a completed action, the imperfect suggests that these duties were recurrent, customary, or indefinite in duration.
In the imperfect tense, "deber" is conjugated as follows: "yo debía" (I used to have to/should have), "tú debías" (you used to have to/should have), "él/ella/usted debía" (he/she/you formal used to have to/should have), "nosotros/nosotras debíamos" (we used to have to/should have), "vosotros/vosotras debíais" (you all used to have to/should have), and "ellos/ellas/ustedes debían" (they/you all formal used to have to/should have).
Using "deber" in the imperfect is useful for talking about past responsibilities that were part of a routine, such as "yo debía ayudar a mi madre en casa" (I used to have to help my mother at home) or "ellos debían estudiar todas las noches" (they had to study every night). This tense is often used to set the scene in storytelling, providing context about past customs or repeated obligations in Spanish.
| debía | debíamos |
| debías | debíais |
| debía | debían |
Conditional Tense
How to Conjugate Spanish verb Deber in the Conditional Tense
Conjugating "deber" in the conditional tense is useful for expressing hypothetical obligations or suggestions that depend on certain conditions. It allows you to communicate what someone would need to do in a specific situation, often conveying a sense of politeness or advice.
In the conditional tense, "deber" is conjugated as follows: "yo debería" (I would have to/should), "tú deberías" (you would have to/should), "él/ella/usted debería" (he/she/you formal would have to/should), "nosotros/nosotras deberíamos" (we would have to/should), "vosotros/vosotras deberíais" (you all would have to/should), and "ellos/ellas/ustedes deberían" (they/you all formal would have to/should).
Using "deber" in the conditional tense allows you to express suggestions or obligations based on hypothetical scenarios, such as "yo debería estudiar más si quiero mejorar" (I should study more if I want to improve) or "ellos deberían considerar otras opciones" (they should consider other options). This tense is particularly useful for making recommendations or discussing what needs to happen under certain conditions in Spanish.
| debería | deberíamos |
| deberías | deberíais |
| debería | deberían |
Final Thoughts
Understanding the various conjugations of "deber" across different tenses—present, preterite, future, imperfect, and conditional—enables you to effectively communicate obligations, responsibilities, and recommendations in Spanish. Each tense provides a unique context: the present conveys current duties, the preterite addresses past obligations, the future discusses upcoming responsibilities, the imperfect reflects ongoing past duties, and the conditional suggests hypothetical scenarios. By mastering these forms, you can articulate needs and expectations more clearly, enhancing your ability to engage in conversations and express nuances in a variety of situations. Overall, knowing how to use "deber" in these different tenses empowers you to navigate both everyday interactions and more complex discussions with confidence.
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