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debía

deh-BEE-ah/deˈβi.a/

“debía” means “I/She/He had to” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

I/She/He had to, I/She/He was supposed to

Also: I/She/He ought to have
VerbA2regular er
A young child sitting at a simple wooden desk with a large, open book, concentrating intently on their studies, showing a sense of duty.
infinitivedeber
gerunddebiendo
past Participledebido

📝 In Action

Yo debía levantarme temprano para ir a la escuela.

A2

I had to get up early to go to school.

Él debía saber la verdad, pero nadie se la dijo.

B1

He was supposed to know the truth, but nobody told him.

Antes, mi jefe decía que le debía lealtad incondicional.

B2

Before, my boss used to say that I owed him unconditional loyalty.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • tenía que (had to (stronger necessity))
  • era necesario (it was necessary)

Common Collocations

  • debía + infinitive – Used to express obligation (e.g., debía ir)

I/She/He owed

Also: I/She/He was in debt to
VerbB1regular er
Two friendly cartoon figures standing opposite each other. One figure is gently handing a small stack of shiny gold coins to the other figure, symbolizing the repayment of a debt.
infinitivedeber
gerunddebiendo
past Participledebido

📝 In Action

Ella no podía comprarlo porque le debía dinero al banco.

B1

She couldn't buy it because she owed the bank money.

Si lo hacía, sentía que le debía un favor a su hermana.

B2

If she did it, she felt that she owed her sister a favor.

Yo debía impuestos desde el año pasado.

B2

I owed taxes from last year.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • adeudaba (owed (financial, formal))
  • era deudor (was a debtor)

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: debía

Question 1 of 2

Which English phrase best captures the meaning of 'Yo debía ir a trabajar todos los días'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
deber(to owe; must) — Infinitive Verb
deuda(debt) — Noun
debido(due; appropriate) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
podíavivía
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *debēre*, which meant 'to owe' and later developed the sense of obligation ('must'). The spelling reflects its direct path from Latin into Spanish.

First recorded: Old Spanish (around the 13th century)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: deviaFrench: devait

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'debía' and 'debió'?

Both are past forms of 'deber.' 'Debía' (Imperfect) describes a continuous or habitual duty in the past ('I used to have to'). 'Debió' (Preterite) describes a single completed obligation or, more commonly, a strong past deduction ('He must have left' or 'He owed money one specific time').

How can I remember that 'debía' is the imperfect tense?

Verbs ending in -er and -ir often have 'ía' in their imperfect form (like 'comía,' 'vivía,' 'debía'). This 'ía' sound usually indicates something that happened repeatedly or continuously in the past.