deber
must / to owe
Auxiliary: haber
Deber is a regular -er verb. It expresses obligation ('must', 'should') and also means 'to owe'. With 'de' (deber de) it expresses probability.
Debo estudiar más.
I must study more.
Indicativo
Presente
Present
Debo terminar esto antes de las cinco.
I must finish this before five.
Debes descansar un poco.
You must rest a little.
Ella me debe veinte euros.
She owes me twenty euros.
Debemos respetar las normas.
We must respect the rules.
Debéis entregar el trabajo el lunes.
You must hand in the work on Monday.
Los clientes deben pagar por adelantado.
The clients must pay in advance.
Pretérito indefinido
Preterite
Debí avisarte antes.
I should have warned you earlier.
Debiste llamar al médico.
You should have called the doctor.
Ella debió salir muy temprano.
She must have left very early.
Debimos reservar con más tiempo.
We should have booked more in advance.
Debisteis avisar de vuestro retraso.
You should have warned about your delay.
Debieron cerrar la carretera por la nieve.
They must have closed the road because of the snow.
Pretérito imperfecto
Imperfect
Debía mucho dinero al banco.
I owed the bank a lot of money.
Sabías que debías estudiar más.
You knew you had to study more.
Él debía cuidar de sus hermanos.
He had to look after his siblings.
Debíamos llegar antes del anochecer.
We had to arrive before nightfall.
Vosotros debíais guardar silencio.
You were supposed to keep quiet.
Los alumnos debían usar uniforme.
The pupils had to wear a uniform.
Pretérito perfecto
Present Perfect
He debido cambiar mis planes.
I have had to change my plans.
Has debido de olvidarlo.
You must have forgotten it.
Ha debido pedir un préstamo.
He has had to take out a loan.
Hemos debido esperar dos horas.
We have had to wait two hours.
Habéis debido trabajar mucho.
You must have worked a lot.
Han debido cancelar el vuelo.
They have had to cancel the flight.
Futuro simple
Future
Deberé madrugar mañana.
I will have to get up early tomorrow.
Deberás firmar el contrato.
You will have to sign the contract.
Ella deberá presentar el informe.
She will have to submit the report.
Deberemos tomar una decisión.
We will have to make a decision.
Deberéis llevar documento de identidad.
You will have to bring an ID.
Los pasajeros deberán abrocharse el cinturón.
The passengers will have to fasten their seatbelts.
Condicional
Condicional simple
Conditional
Debería llamar a mis padres más a menudo.
I should call my parents more often.
Deberías ir al médico.
You should go to the doctor.
Ella debería descansar más.
She should rest more.
Deberíamos ahorrar para el futuro.
We should save for the future.
Deberíais pediros perdón.
You should apologise to each other.
Los conductores deberían reducir la velocidad.
Drivers should slow down.
Subjuntivo
Presente de subjuntivo
Present Subjunctive
No creo que deba disculparme.
I don't think I should apologise.
No es justo que debas pagar tú.
It's not fair that you have to pay.
Es lógico que ella deba decidir.
It's logical that she has to decide.
Quizá debamos cambiar de estrategia.
Perhaps we should change strategy.
No quiero que debáis nada a nadie.
I don't want you to owe anyone anything.
Dudo que deban repetir el examen.
I doubt they have to retake the exam.
Pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo
Imperfect Subjunctive
Sentía que debiera hacer algo más.
I felt that I should do something more.
No estaba claro que debieras pagar tú.
It wasn't clear that you had to pay.
Le parecía que ella debiera quedarse.
It seemed to him that she should stay.
Nos dijeron que debiéramos esperar.
They told us that we should wait.
Sería raro que debierais marcharos ya.
It would be strange for you to have to leave already.
No parecía justo que debieran irse.
It didn't seem fair that they had to leave.
Imperativo
Imperativo
Imperative
Debe ser honesto contigo mismo.
You must be honest with yourself.
Deba usted cumplir con su palabra.
You must keep your word.
Debamos ser un ejemplo, no solo dar palabras.
Let us be an example, not just words.
Debed lealtad a vuestros compañeros.
You must be loyal to your teammates.
Deban respeto a las normas del centro.
You must show respect for the rules of the centre.
