deberConjugation
deber means must.
Complete Conjugation Tables
Reference all tenses and moods
Imperative
Imperative
The imperative of deber (debe, debed...) is rarely used as it sounds redundant to 'command' an obligation.
Negative Imperative
The negative imperative (no debas, no debáis...) is used to tell someone not to owe money or things.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive of deber (debiera, debieras...) is used in 'if' clauses or for very polite advice.
Present Subjunctive
The present subjunctive of deber (deba, debas...) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or necessity.
Indicative
Future
The future of deber is regular (deberé, deberás...) and expresses future obligations or probability.
Preterite
The preterite of deber is regular (debí, debiste...) and focuses on a specific moment of obligation or a completed debt.
Imperfect
The imperfect of deber is regular (debía, debías...) and describes ongoing obligations or debts in the past.
Conditional
The conditional of deber (debería, deberías...) is the go-to way to say 'should' in Spanish.
Present
The present of deber is regular (debo, debes, debe...) and expresses current obligations or debts.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does deber mean in Spanish?
deber means "must".
Is deber a regular or irregular verb?
deber is a regular -er verb in Spanish.
How do you conjugate deber in the present tense?
The present tense of deber is: yo debo, tú debes, él/ella/usted debe, nosotros debemos, vosotros debéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes deben.
How do you conjugate deber in the preterite (past tense)?
The preterite of deber is: yo debí, tú debiste, él/ella/usted debió, nosotros debimos, vosotros debisteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes debieron.
deber conjugation cheat sheet
