No debería haberlo hecho.

Question

What is the best way to say: "I shouldn't have done it."?

No debería haberlo hecho.

No debí haberlo hecho.

Are both correct? Is there any difference? Is one more common than the other? Is there any other way to say it?

Thanks.

Jejeje....One of us must be telepathic. I was driving home tonight working over the exact same question in my mind. Gets my vote :) - Izanoni1, Jun 21, 2010

Answer 1

How about "¿No debí hacerlo?"

There's really no big difference between any of those three options. Maybe context will make you feel that one choice sounds better than the other, but I really can't think of specific examples right now.

Eugh! I can't believe nobody caught my mistaken "fill" instead of "feel"!

Caught the spelling police napping!!

Answer 2

I think that "No debo haberlo hecho" means "I must not have done it". I just found this great link on the subject.

Great link! - 0074b507, Jun 23, 2010

Estoy de acuerdo, voting :) - Kiwi-Girl, Jun 23, 2010

Answer 3

What is the best way to say: "I shouldn't have done it."?

= No debí hacerlo

The "pretérito" (debí, debió etc.) expresses something that 'should have been done' and the "imperfecto" and conditional forms describe something that 'should be done'...

Good job, Feliz! Gracias por el link. - Delores--Lindsey, Jun 23, 2010

Thank you Dolores kind of you to mention it - FELIZ77, Jun 23, 2010

Answer 4

No debia haberlo hecho.

I should not have done it.

This might be an option then again what sounds correct to me is sometimes way off the mark but one must keep trying.

Answer 5

Since this is a question about the choice of tense, the first thing to do is replace the use of "ought" by some verb that is inflected for tense. As the O E D points out "This partly retains a past sense; but as an auxiliary of predication it has become indefinite as to time". As an alternative, I would suggest "to be (his/her/my/your/their/our) duty to". Although a longer phrase, it has the virtue of using forms of "to be" which is much more inflected.

Some sentences in English:

It is my duty not to do/have done it. / It was my duty not to do/have done it. / It had been my duty not to do/have done it All of these are possible, grammatically (although some are very rarely used).

En cuanto a "No debía haberlo hecho" vs "No debo haberlo hecho", me parecen muy similares pero aquel da énfasis en lo que pensaba en aquel entonces mientras este se refiere a lo que pienso ahora.

Answer 6

Would "No debía haberlo hecho" be an option?

I can't tell categorically that it is grammatically incorrect, but it does sound a bit strange to me. - Gekkosan, Jun 21, 2010

Please see link above and my post below - FELIZ77, Jun 23, 2010

Answer 7

"No debo haberlo hecho." is also a possibility.

"No debo" is future and"haberlo hecho" is past tense.I think that is not correct. - melipiru, Jun 22, 2010

Hi, Meli Debo is present tense. Debo estudiar ahora en vez de estar en la computadora. LOL - Delores--Lindsey, Jun 22, 2010

Of course Delores, I was wrong to writen,is present=I owe - melipiru, Jun 23, 2010