How to Say "to owe" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “to owe” is “deber” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
English → SpanishA2
verbA2
money or objects
Examples
Te debo cien euros por la cena.
I owe you one hundred euros for dinner.
Le debo mi éxito a mis padres.
I owe my success to my parents.
¿Cuánto te debo?
How much do I owe you?
Owed to Whom?
When saying who you owe the money or favor to, use an indirect object (like 'te' or 'le'). 'Te debo' means 'I owe you'.
Forgetting the Recipient
Mistake: “Saying 'Debo dinero' when you mean 'Le debo dinero a ella.'”
Correction: You must include the person you owe the debt to, even if they were mentioned already (use 'le' or 'te').
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