Kilo Lingo

/deˈβeɾ/

Line drawing of deber
Coloured illustration of deber
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Translation

to have to, to owe, must

Word origin

From Latin debere ('to owe, to be obliged'), itself a contraction of de habere ('to have from'). It supplies both the verb 'to owe, must' and the noun 'duty'.

Origin
Latin
Root
debere
English cognates
debt, debit

Grammar

Verb type-er regular

Conjugation

Regular -er conjugation. Pronouns: yo, tú, él/ella/ud., nos., vos., ellos/uds..

Indicative

Person PresentPreteriteImperfectFutureConditional
yodebodebídebíadeberédebería
debesdebistedebíasdeberásdeberías
él/ella/ud.debedebiódebíadeberádebería
nos.debemosdebimosdebíamosdeberemosdeberíamos
vos.debéisdebisteisdebíaisdeberéisdeberíais
ellos/uds.debendebierondebíandeberándeberían

Subjunctive

Person PresentImperfect (-ra)Imperfect (-se)
yodebadebieradebiese
debasdebierasdebieses
él/ella/ud.debadebieradebiese
nos.debamosdebiéramosdebiésemos
vos.debáisdebieraisdebieseis
ellos/uds.debandebierandebiesen

Imperative

Person Affirmative
debe
ud.deba
nosotrosdebamos
vosotrosdebed
uds.deban

Non-finite

Gerund / present participle
debiendo
Past participle
debido

Examples

.

You must study more if you want to pass the exam.

.

I owe my brother twenty dollars.

.

We should arrive before eight.

.

You must not speak that way about your workmates.

.

The company's success is due to everyone's effort.

.

He must not speak that way in front of the children.

Used in

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This word is part of lesson 1.