deber Imperfect Subjunctive Conjugation
deber — must
The imperfect subjunctive of deber (debiera, debieras...) is used in 'if' clauses or for very polite advice.
deber Imperfect Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Imperfect Subjunctive
Use this in hypothetical 'if' scenarios (e.g., 'If I should...') or as a very formal alternative to 'debería' for giving advice.
Notes on deber in the Imperfect Subjunctive
It is regular, following the 'debier-' stem derived from the preterite 'debieron'.
Example Sentences
Si yo debiera dinero, estaría preocupado.
If I owed money, I would be worried.
yo
Usted debiera considerar esta opción.
You (formal) should consider this option.
él/ella/usted
Si debiéramos salir, ya lo sabríamos.
If we were supposed to leave, we would know by now.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'nosotros' form.
Correct: debiéramos.
Why: All 'nosotros' forms in the imperfect subjunctive require an accent on the vowel before the -ramos ending.
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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.
Future
yo: deberé
The future of deber is regular (deberé, deberás...) and expresses future obligations or probability.
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.
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.