deba
“deba” means “must” in Spanish (I must / he must / she must / you (formal) must).
must, should
Also: owe
📝 In Action
No quiero que él deba trabajar el fin de semana.
B1I don't want him to have to work this weekend.
Es crucial que yo deba revisar los detalles antes de firmar.
B2It is crucial that I must review the details before signing.
Dudo que ella le deba una explicación.
B1I doubt that she owes him an explanation.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: deba
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'deba' to express doubt?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'deber' (from which 'deba' comes) originates in the Latin word *dēbēre*, which meant 'to owe' or 'to be bound to'.
First recorded: 10th century (as 'deber')
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'deba' sound different from the regular 'debo' (I must)?
'Deba' is a special verb form (called the Subjunctive) used when you talk about wishes, doubts, emotions, or things that might not be real yet. The regular form 'debo' is used for facts or definite statements.
Is 'deba' only used for 'yo'?
No, 'deba' is also the form you use for 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), and 'usted' (you formal). You need to look at the context of the sentence to know who is doing the action.