"deber" can be a verb. You can see the conjugations below.
el deber. 'el deber'. This masculine noun means 'duty, obligation'. For example, 'todos tenemos el deber de alimentar esa luz de esperanza' / 'We all have a duty to nurture the light of hope'. El deber.
deber
masculine noun
1.
duty
(obligación)
- los derechos y los deberes de los ciudadanos -> citizens' rights and duties
also:
- deberes -> homework (trabajo escolar)
- hacer los deberes -> to do one's homework
transitive verb
2.
to owe
(adeudar)
- deber algo a alguien -> to owe somebody something, to owe something to somebody
- ¿qué o cuánto le debo? -> how much is it?
intransitive verb
3. (+ infinitivo)
- debo hacerlo -> I have to do it, I must do it
- debes dominar tus impulsos -> you must o should control your impulses
- deberían abolir esa ley -> they ought to o should abolish that law
- no deberías fumar tanto -> you shouldn't smoke so much
4.
(expresa posibilidad)
- deben de ser las diez -> it must be ten o'clock
- no debe de ser muy mayor -> she can't be very old
deberse a
pronomial verb
1.
to be due to
(ser consecuencia de)
- y eso, ¿a qué se debe? -> and what's the reason for that?
2.
to have a responsibility toward
(dedicarse a)
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deber [day-berr']
noun
1.
Obligation, duty. (m)
2.
Debt. (m)
- Hacer su deber -> to fulfil one’s duty
article & verb transitive
1.
To owe, not to pay a debt which is due.
- Me debes cinco dólares -> you owe me five dollars
- Esto lo debe a la influencia francesa -> he owes this to French influence
verb neuter
2.
To be obliged to, to be to, must, ought, would, have to. (n)
- Debía ser -> must have been
- Deber de -> must
- Debo hacerlo -> I must do it
- He debido perderlo -> I must have lost it
- Debe de ser así -> it must be like that
- No debe de ser muy caro -> it can’t be very dear
verb reflexive
- Deberse a -> to be owing to
- Se debe al mal tiempo -> it’s on account of the bad weather
- Puede deberse a que ->
., it may be because....
deber
verbo:transitivo
[+dinero, explicación, respeto] to owe me debes cinco dólares you owe me five dollars; ¿qué le debo? (en bares, tiendas) how much (is it)?; how much do I owe you?
me deben muchos favores they owe me a lot of favours; te debo una disculpa I owe you an apology; el teatro español debe mucho a Buero Vallejo Spanish theatre owes a lot to Buero Vallejo
todo lo que he conseguido se lo debo a mi padre I have my father to thank for everything I have achieved; I owe everything I have achieved to my father
verbo:intransitivo
1 (obligación)
debo intentar verla I must try to see her; no debes preocuparte you mustn't worry; no debes comer tanto you shouldn't eat so much; como debe ser as it ought to o should be; debería cambiarse cada mes it ought to o should be changed every month; habrías debido traerlo you ought to have o should have brought it; no deberías haberla dejado sola you shouldn't have left her alone; debíamos haber salido ayer we were to have o should have left yesterday
2 (suposición)
debe (de) ser brasileño he must be a Brazilian; debe (de) hacer mucho frío allí it must be very cold there; debe (de) ser así it must be like that; that's how it must be
he debido (de) perderlo I must have lost it; no debe (de) ser muy caro it can't be very dear; no debe (de) tener mucho dinero he can't have much money; no debía (de) tener más de dieciocho años she couldn't have been more than eighteen; no debía (de) andar lejos de los 200.000 libros it can't have been far off 200,000 books; no debía (de) quedar ninguno vivo it is unlikely that any survived
verbo:pronominal
deberse1
deberse a algo (tener por causa) to be due to sth; el retraso se debió a una huelga the delay was due to a strike
el accidente se debió al mal tiempo the accident was caused by the bad weather
se debe a que no hay carbón it is because (of the fact that) there's no coal; puede deberse a que ... it may be because ...; ¿a qué se debe esto? what is the reason for this?; why is this?; ¿a qué se debe el aumento? what is the reason for the increase?; no se sabe realmente a qué se debe la inestabilidad we don't really know the reason for the instability
1 (obligación) duty
mi deber es advertir al Gobierno it's my duty to warn the Government; era mi deber de hijo it was my duty as a son
es un deber para con la comunidad it's a duty to the community; nunca hubiera faltado a su deber he would never have failed in o to do his duty; cumplir con un deber to perform a duty; carry out a duty
últimos deberes last rites
deber ciudadano civic duty
Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
Verb Conjugations for "deber" (go to must (+ infinitive); to owe)
- Gerund: debiendo
- Participle: debido
Indicative
Present |
Preterit |
Imperfect |
Conditional |
Future |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | debo | debí | debía | debería | deberé |
| tú | debes | debiste | debías | deberías | deberás |
| él/ella/Ud. | debe | debió | debía | debería | deberá |
| nosotros | debemos | debimos | debíamos | deberíamos | deberemos |
| vosotros | debéis | debisteis | debíais | deberíais | deberéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | deben | debieron | debían | deberían | deberán |
Complete deber conjugation >
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