-er verb A1 · Beginner

Conjugate deber in Spanish

to owe / must / should

deber is a regular -er verb ranked #14 among the most common Spanish verbs. For example: "Yo debo todos los días." (I owe every day.). Use the tables below for full conjugation across all 7 tenses.

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Describes current actions, habits, and general truths. The most frequently used tense — master it first.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo debo
debes
él/ella/Ud. debe
nosotros debemos
vosotros debéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. deben
Example

Yo debo todos los días.

I owe every day.

Describes completed past actions with a clear start and end. Key signals: ayer, el lunes pasado, de repente.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo debí
debiste
él/ella/Ud. debió
nosotros debimos
vosotros debisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. debieron
Example

Ayer yo debí.

Yesterday I owe / must / should.

Describes habitual past actions, background context, and ongoing states. Key signals: siempre, normalmente, cuando era niño.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo debía
debías
él/ella/Ud. debía
nosotros debíamos
vosotros debíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. debían
Example

Antes yo debía con frecuencia.

Before, I used to owe / must / should often.

Describes future events and predictions. In everyday speech, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for planned events.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo deberé
deberás
él/ella/Ud. deberá
nosotros deberemos
vosotros deberéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. deberán
Example

Mañana yo deberé.

Tomorrow I will owe / must / should.

Expresses what would happen under certain conditions — equivalent to "would" in English. Also used for polite requests.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo debería
deberías
él/ella/Ud. debería
nosotros deberíamos
vosotros deberíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. deberían
Example

Si pudiera, yo debería.

If I could, I would owe / must / should.

Used in clauses expressing wishes, doubt, emotion, or uncertainty — typically after que. Triggers: querer, esperar, dudar, ojalá.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo deba
debas
él/ella/Ud. deba
nosotros debamos
vosotros debáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. deban
Example

Quiero que tú debas más.

I want you to owe more.

Used to give commands and direct requests. Affirmative and negative forms differ significantly in Spanish.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo -
debe
él/ella/Ud. deba
nosotros debamos
vosotros debed
ellos/ellas/Uds. deban
Example

Él debe con frecuencia.

He owes often.

Test yourself

Type the correct conjugation for each prompt.

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Example sentences

Common phrases with deber

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