deber de
- Dictionary
USAGE NOTE
Sense 2) is common, but may not be considered correct by some speakers of Spanish.
deber de(
deh
-
behr
deh
)An auxiliary verb, or helper verb, is a conjugated verb that comes before a main verb and determines the main verb's tense, mood, or aspect (e.g., I have gone.).
a. must
Debe de ser muy interesante poder viajar a las islas Galápagos.It must be really interesting to be able to travel to the Galapagos Islands.
2. (colloquial) (used with an infinitive to express obligation)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
a. have to
Esto es chantaje, Juan. Debes de decírselo a la policía.This is blackmail, Juan. You have to tell the police.
A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
a. duty to
Tengo el deber de comunicarle que su presencia en nuestro país no es bien recibida.It is my duty to inform you that your presence in our country is not welcome.
b. obligation as
Mi deber de ciudadano es denunciar este delito ambiental a las autoridades.My obligation as a citizen is to report this environmental crime to the authorities.
Examples
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