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deberíamos

de-be-REE-ah-mos/de.βeˈɾi.a.mos/

“deberíamos” means “we should” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

we should

Also: we ought to
VerbA2regular er
Two friendly cartoon children standing at a fork in a sunny forest path, where one child is gently pointing toward the right-hand path, suggesting the direction to take.
infinitivedeber
gerunddebiendo
past Participledebido

📝 In Action

Deberíamos llamar a nuestros padres más a menudo.

A2

We should call our parents more often.

Si queremos llegar a tiempo, deberíamos salir ahora.

B1

If we want to arrive on time, we should leave now.

Creo que deberíamos considerar todas las opciones.

B1

I think we should consider all the options.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • tendríamos que (we would have to)

Antonyms

  • no deberíamos (we shouldn't)

Common Collocations

  • deberíamos haber dicho – we should have said
  • deberíamos empezar por – we should start with

we must be

Also: we are probably
VerbB2regular er
Two cartoon explorers consult a map near a distinctive lighthouse, pointing from the map detail to the actual structure, confirming their location through logical deduction.
infinitivedeber
gerunddebiendo
past Participledebido

📝 In Action

Si el vuelo salió a las 3, deberíamos aterrizar pronto.

B2

If the flight left at 3, we must be landing soon.

Con todo este estudio, deberíamos sacar una buena nota.

B2

With all this studying, we should get a good grade. (It's the probable outcome)

Si seguimos el mapa, deberíamos estar muy cerca del hotel.

C1

If we're following the map, we must be very close to the hotel.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • probablemente estemos (we probably are)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/usteddebe
yodebo
túdebes
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeben
nosotrosdebemos
vosotrosdebéis

imperfect

él/ella/usteddebía
yodebía
túdebías
ellos/ellas/ustedesdebían
nosotrosdebíamos
vosotrosdebíais

preterite

él/ella/usteddebió
yodebí
túdebiste
ellos/ellas/ustedesdebieron
nosotrosdebimos
vosotrosdebisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/usteddeba
yodeba
túdebas
ellos/ellas/ustedesdeban
nosotrosdebamos
vosotrosdebáis

imperfect

él/ella/usteddebiera o debiese
yodebiera o debiese
túdebieras o debieses
ellos/ellas/ustedesdebieran o debiesen
nosotrosdebiéramos o debiésemos
vosotrosdebierais o debieseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: deberíamos

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'deberíamos' to make a logical guess, not to give advice?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
deber(to owe; should) — Verb
el deber(duty, obligation) — Noun
debido(due, owed) — Adjective
la deuda(debt) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
comeríamosveríamostendríamos
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'dēbēre', which means 'to owe'. This original sense of owing something, like money, expanded over time to mean owing a duty or an action. From there, it softened into the modern sense of 'should' or 'ought to'.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: deveríamosFrench: devrionsItalian: dovremmo

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'deberíamos' and 'tenemos que'?

'Deberíamos' is for suggestions and advice ('we should'), which are optional. 'Tenemos que' is for obligations and necessities ('we have to'), which are not optional. For example, 'Deberíamos ir al cine' (a fun idea) vs. 'Tenemos que ir al trabajo' (a requirement).

How do I say 'we should have done something'?

You use a slightly different structure: 'Deberíamos haber' followed by the past participle of the verb. For example, 'Deberíamos haber estudiado más' means 'We should have studied more'.