debemos
“debemos” means “we must” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
we must, we have to
Also: we should, we ought to
📝 In Action
Debemos terminar la tarea antes de salir.
A2We must finish the homework before going out.
Si queremos estar sanos, debemos comer más verduras.
B1If we want to be healthy, we should eat more vegetables.
Debemos respetar las opiniones de los demás.
B1We ought to respect the opinions of others.
we owe
Also: we are indebted to
📝 In Action
Le debemos cincuenta euros a mi hermano.
A2We owe my brother fifty euros.
Te debemos una disculpa por llegar tarde.
B1We owe you an apology for being late.
Les debemos mucho a nuestros padres.
B1We owe a lot to our parents.
we must be
Also: we are probably
📝 In Action
No has comido nada en todo el día, debes de tener hambre.
B1You haven't eaten all day, you must be hungry.
El cielo está muy oscuro, debe de llover pronto.
B1The sky is very dark, it must be going to rain soon.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: debemos
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence means 'We probably are tired'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'dēbēre', which meant 'to owe'. This original sense of owing money or a debt expanded over time to also mean owing a duty or an obligation.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'debemos' and 'deberíamos'?
'Debemos' is a statement of fact or a strong suggestion: 'We must/should do this.' 'Deberíamos' is softer and more hypothetical, like giving advice: 'We probably should do this' or 'It would be a good idea if we did this.' Use 'deberíamos' to be more polite.
Is 'debemos de' always necessary for making a guess?
Technically, using 'de' (debemos de...) is the classic way to show you're making a guess. However, in modern spoken Spanish, it's very common to drop the 'de' and just say 'debemos...' even when guessing. The context almost always makes the meaning clear.