How to Say "they owe" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “they owe” is “deben” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Ellos me deben cincuenta euros de la cena de anoche.
They owe me fifty euros from last night's dinner.
Si no pagan hoy, todavía deben el alquiler del mes pasado.
If they don't pay today, they still owe last month's rent.
Ustedes me deben una disculpa por llegar tan tarde.
You (all) owe me an apology for arriving so late.
Owing Something: 'deber + [thing owed]'
When 'deber' means 'to owe', the thing that is owed comes directly after the verb. For example, 'Ellos deben el dinero' (They owe the money).
Adding 'por'
Mistake: “Ellos deben por la comida.”
Correction: Ellos deben la comida. In English we say 'owe *for* something,' but in Spanish you just say you 'owe the thing' directly.
Related Translations
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