Today’s Spanish word of the day is “deber”.
It’s a versatile verb that can refer to obligations, translating as “should”, “must” or “to have to”. It can also mean “to owe”.
In the reflexive form (“deberse”), it refers to the cause of something and means “to be due to”, for example:
- El daño se debe a una gotera en el techo. – The damage is due to a leak in the roof.
The word “deber” can also be used as a noun, meaning “obligation” or “duty”, for example:
- Es mi deber informarte de los cambios. – It is my duty to inform you of the changes.
The plural form (“deberes”) means “homework”.
“Deber” comes from Latin debere, meaning “to owe” or “to be obligated to”. This is also the root of the English words “debt” and “debit” as well as, less obviously, “endeavor” and “due”.
“Deber” is a regular verb that follows the same pattern of conjugation as other regular -er verbs.
Example sentences
Mi hermana debe llegar en cualquier momento.
My sister should arrive any moment.
Si pudiera volver atrás, debería haber estudiado medicina.
If I could go back, I should have studied medicine.
Debemos cuidar el medio ambiente para las generaciones futuras.
We must take care of the environment for future generations.
No debo olvidar comprar pan en el supermercado.
I mustn’t forget to buy bread at the supermarket.
Si tienes tiempo, debes visitar a tus abuelos.
If you have time, you should visit your grandparents.
