Inklingo

How to Say "we owed" in Spanish

English → Spanish

debíamos

deh-BEE-ah-mos/deˈβi.amos/

VerbA2General
Use 'debíamos' when referring to a past financial debt or money that was due, often implying an ongoing state of owing.
Two friendly adults jointly presenting a small, heavy pouch of coins to a third adult who is ready to receive it, illustrating that they owed money.

Examples

Hace un año, aún debíamos mil dólares al banco.

A year ago, we still owed a thousand dollars to the bank.

Siempre debíamos dinero a nuestros padres después de las vacaciones.

We always owed money to our parents after vacation.

Imperfect for State of Being

When talking about debt, the imperfect ('debíamos') describes a continuous state in the past—the fact that we had an outstanding debt for a period of time.

debimos

deh-BEE-mohs/deˈβi.mos/

VerbA2General
Use 'debimos' when expressing a past obligation or necessity that was fulfilled or implied to be fulfilled, often a requirement or a 'had to'.
Two small figures straining together, pulling a large, heavy, square block up a slight incline using a thick rope, symbolizing a difficult past obligation.

Examples

Debimos ir al hospital inmediatamente.

We had to go to the hospital immediately.

Debimos dinero a nuestros padres por el viaje.

We owed money to our parents for the trip.

¿Qué debimos hacer en esa situación?

What were we supposed to do in that situation?

Simple Past (Preterite) Use

The form 'debimos' is used when the obligation or debt started and ended at a specific time in the past, making it a completed action.

Obligation vs. Ongoing Debt

Learners often confuse 'debimos' (had to/obligation) with 'debíamos' (were owing/ongoing debt). Remember that 'debíamos' implies a state of owing money or a responsibility that existed over a period, while 'debimos' often refers to a specific past action or necessity.

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