debía

/deh-BEE-ah/

I/She/He had to

A young child sitting at a simple wooden desk with a large, open book, concentrating intently on their studies, showing a sense of duty.

This image shows a child who had to study, illustrating the meaning of past necessity for "debía."

debía(Verb)

A2regular er

I/She/He had to

Past necessity

I/She/He was supposed to

Past expectation/duty

Also:

I/She/He ought to have

Moral obligation (less common than 'debería')

📝 In Action

Yo debía levantarme temprano para ir a la escuela.

I had to get up early to go to school.

Él debía saber la verdad, pero nadie se la dijo.

He was supposed to know the truth, but nobody told him.

Antes, mi jefe decía que le debía lealtad incondicional.

Before, my boss used to say that I owed him unconditional loyalty.

Word Connections

Synonyms

tenía que (had to (stronger necessity))
era necesario (it was necessary)

Common Collocations

debía + infinitive – Used to express obligation (e.g., debía ir)

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Was Supposed To' Tense

The imperfect tense ('debía') describes ongoing or habitual actions in the past. It often translates to 'was supposed to' or 'used to have to,' focusing on the expectation, not a single failed action.

Distinguishing Debía vs. Debió

'Debía' (Imperfect) is for past obligations that were continuous (I always had to study). 'Debió' (Preterite) is for a specific, completed past deduction or strong assumption (He must have called once).

Two friendly cartoon figures standing opposite each other. One figure is gently handing a small stack of shiny gold coins to the other figure, symbolizing the repayment of a debt.

The exchange of coins depicts someone who owed money, visualizing the financial debt meaning of "debía."

debía(Verb)

B1regular er

I/She/He owed

Financial or moral debt

Also:

I/She/He was in debt to

Financial situation

📝 In Action

Ella no podía comprarlo porque le debía dinero al banco.

She couldn't buy it because she owed the bank money.

Si lo hacía, sentía que le debía un favor a su hermana.

If she did it, she felt that she owed her sister a favor.

Yo debía impuestos desde el año pasado.

I owed taxes from last year.

Word Connections

Synonyms

adeudaba (owed (financial, formal))
era deudor (was a debtor)

💡 Grammar Points

Owe Money

When referring to debt, 'deber' works just like 'to owe' in English. Remember to use the short word ('le' or 'les') to say who is owed: 'Le debía a Juan' (I owed Juan).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: debía

Question 1 of 2

Which English phrase best captures the meaning of 'Yo debía ir a trabajar todos los días'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

deber(to owe; must) - infinitive verb

deuda(debt) - noun

debido(due; appropriate) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'debía' and 'debió'?

Both are past forms of 'deber.' 'Debía' (Imperfect) describes a continuous or habitual duty in the past ('I used to have to'). 'Debió' (Preterite) describes a single completed obligation or, more commonly, a strong past deduction ('He must have left' or 'He owed money one specific time').

How can I remember that 'debía' is the imperfect tense?

Verbs ending in -er and -ir often have 'ía' in their imperfect form (like 'comía,' 'vivía,' 'debía'). This 'ía' sound usually indicates something that happened repeatedly or continuously in the past.