A group of people standing before a fork in a path, with one person pointing towards the safer, sunnier trail to offer guidance.

deberíais

deh-beh-REE-ice

verbB1regular er

you all should?giving advice to a group in Spain

Also:you all ought to?suggesting a moral or logical obligation

Quick Reference

gerunddebiendo

past Participledebido

infinitivedeber

📝 In Action

Deberíais descansar un poco antes del viaje.

You all should rest a bit before the trip.

Deberíais saber que la tienda cierra pronto.

You all should know that the shop closes soon.

Si queréis ganar, deberíais practicar más.

If you want to win, you all should practice more.

Word Connections

Synonyms

tendríais que (you all would have to)

Common Collocations

deberíais ir – you all should go
deberíais comer – you all should eat

💡 Grammar Points

Making Suggestions

This word uses the 'conditional' form, which is like adding 'would' or 'should' in English. It makes your advice sound much softer and more polite than a direct command.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Spain vs. Latin America

Mistake: "Using 'deberíais' in Mexico or Argentina."

Correction: In most of Latin America, people don't use the 'vosotros' form. Instead, use 'deberían' to talk to a group.

⭐ Usage Tips

Pronunciation Help

Make sure to stress the 'RI' syllable (dee-beh-REE-ice) to sound natural.

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdebieran

yodebiera

túdebieras

vosotrosdebierais

nosotrosdebiéramos

él/ella/usteddebiera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdeban

yodeba

túdebas

vosotrosdebáis

nosotrosdebamos

él/ella/usteddeba

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesdebieron

yodebí

túdebiste

vosotrosdebisteis

nosotrosdebimos

él/ella/usteddebió

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesdebían

yodebía

túdebías

vosotrosdebíais

nosotrosdebíamos

él/ella/usteddebía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesdeben

yodebo

túdebes

vosotrosdebéis

nosotrosdebemos

él/ella/usteddebe

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: deberíais

Question 1 of 1

If you are in Madrid and want to suggest to your friends that they should leave, which word do you use?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

deber(to must / to owe) - verb

deberes(homework / duties) - noun

debido(due to) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'deberíais' mean the same thing as 'debéis'?

Not exactly. 'Debéis' sounds like a direct obligation (you must), while 'deberíais' is softer and sounds like advice (you should).

Is this used for one person or many?

It is always used for a group of people (you all).