
deber Future Conjugation
deber — must
The future of deber is regular (deberé, deberás...) and expresses future obligations or probability.
deber Future Forms
When to Use the Future
Use this to say what someone 'will owe' or 'will have to' do. It is also used for 'probability' in the present (e.g., 'He must be at home now').
Notes on deber in the Future
Deber is a regular -er verb in the future; just add the endings to the infinitive.
Example Sentences
Mañana te deberé diez euros más.
Tomorrow I will owe you ten euros more.
yo
Deberás entregar el informe el lunes.
You will have to hand in the report on Monday.
tú
Deberán trabajar duro para ganar.
They will have to work hard to win.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'deberé' for 'I should'.
Correct: Use 'debería'.
Why: 'Deberé' is a strong future obligation, whereas 'debería' is a suggestion.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: debo
The present of deber is regular (debo, debes, debe...) and expresses current obligations or debts.
Preterite
yo: debí
The preterite of deber is regular (debí, debiste...) and focuses on a specific moment of obligation or a completed debt.
Imperfect
yo: debía
The imperfect of deber is regular (debía, debías...) and describes ongoing obligations or debts in the past.
Conditional
yo: debería
The conditional of deber (debería, deberías...) is the go-to way to say 'should' in Spanish.
Present Subjunctive
yo: deba
The present subjunctive of deber (deba, debas...) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or necessity.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: debiera
The imperfect subjunctive of deber (debiera, debieras...) is used in 'if' clauses or for very polite advice.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: debe
The imperative of deber (debe, debed...) is rarely used as it sounds redundant to 'command' an obligation.
Negative Imperative
yo: no debas
The negative imperative (no debas, no debáis...) is used to tell someone not to owe money or things.