deber Present Conjugation
deber — must
The present of deber is regular (debo, debes, debe...) and expresses current obligations or debts.
deber Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to state what you 'must' do right now or to talk about money you currently owe.
Notes on deber in the Present
Deber is a regular -er verb in the present tense.
Example Sentences
Debo ir al supermercado hoy.
I must go to the supermarket today.
yo
Tú me debes cinco dólares.
You owe me five dollars.
tú
Debemos respetar las reglas.
We must respect the rules.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Adding an 'a' after deber (e.g., 'Debo a ir').
Correct: Debo ir.
Why: Unlike 'ir a', 'deber' is followed directly by the infinitive without a preposition.
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Related Tenses
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.
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.