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debiste

deh-BEE-steh/deˈβiste/

“debiste” means “you should have” in Spanish (expressing past regret or criticism (informal tú)).

you should have

Also: you were supposed to, you had to
VerbB1regular er
A storybook illustration showing a small, friendly fox cub sitting on green grass, looking sadly down at a single, slightly bruised red apple lying beside it, symbolizing regret over a missed opportunity.
infinitivedeber
gerunddebiendo
past Participledebido

📝 In Action

Llegaste tarde. Debiste salir antes de casa.

B1

You arrived late. You should have left home earlier.

Perdiste el autobús. Debiste revisar el horario.

B2

You missed the bus. You should have checked the schedule.

Si tenías fiebre, debiste quedarte en cama.

B1

If you had a fever, you were supposed to stay in bed.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • tuviste que (you had to)
  • era tu obligación (it was your obligation)

Common Collocations

  • debiste decir la verdad – you should have told the truth
  • debiste estudiar más – you should have studied more

🔄 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/debiese
yodebiera/debiese
túdebieras/debieses
ellos/ellas/ustedesdebieran/debiesen
nosotrosdebiéramos/debiésemos
vosotrosdebierais/debieseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: debiste

Question 1 of 2

Which English phrase best captures the meaning of 'Debiste haber comido algo antes'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
deber(to owe; must/should) — Verb
el deber(duty, obligation) — Noun
la deuda(debt) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The verb *deber* comes from the Latin verb *dēbēre*, which meant 'to owe' or 'to be bound to.' The idea of owing money or owing an action (a duty) is where the modern meanings of 'must' and 'should' come from.

First recorded: Old Spanish (around 10th-12th century)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: devesteItalian: dovere

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'debiste' stronger than 'deberías'?

Yes. 'Deberías' (you should) offers gentle advice for the present or future. 'Debiste' (you should have) judges a past action, often implying that a mistake was made.

How do I use 'debiste' with another verb?

It is always followed by another verb in its base form (the infinitive). Example: 'Debiste estudiar' (You should have studied).