deber Preterite Conjugation
deber — must
The preterite of deber is regular (debí, debiste...) and focuses on a specific moment of obligation or a completed debt.
deber Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite when an obligation was fulfilled or triggered at a specific point in time, or to state that you 'had to' do something once.
Notes on deber in the Preterite
Deber is regular in the preterite. Note that 'debimos' is the same for both preterite and present in some -er verbs, but for deber, the present is 'debemos'.
Example Sentences
Debí haber dicho la verdad.
I should have told the truth (at that moment).
yo
Debiste pagar la cuenta ayer.
You should have paid the bill yesterday.
tú
Debieron cancelar el evento por la lluvia.
They had to cancel the event because of the rain.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing 'debí' with 'debería'.
Correct: Use 'debí' for past facts and 'debería' for advice.
Why: 'Debí' refers to a past obligation that happened (or didn't), while 'debería' is conditional advice.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'deber' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: debo
The present of deber is regular (debo, debes, debe...) and expresses current obligations or debts.
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.