Deber imperfect conjugation
Deber in the imperfect: debía, debías, debía, debíamos, debíais, debían.
- to owe; must; should
- regular
- Participle: debido
- Gerund: debiendo
Imperfect imperfecto
| yo | debía |
|---|---|
| tú | debías |
| él/ella/usted | debía |
| nosotros | debíamos |
| vosotros | debíais |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | debían |
How to use deber in the imperfect
The imperfect of deber is regular: debía, debías, debía, debíamos, debían. It describes past obligations as background: "Debía estar allí a las ocho" (I was supposed to be there at eight). In the present, debía can also work like debería: "Debías decírselo" is a soft reproach. It also covers past debts: "Le debía dinero al banco."
Examples
Debíamos entregar el proyecto el lunes, pero nos dieron más tiempo.
We were supposed to hand in the project on Monday, but they gave us more time.
La empresa le debía tres meses de sueldo.
The company owed him three months of salary.
Debía de ser medianoche cuando llegaron.
It must have been midnight when they arrived.
Quick check: deber in the imperfect
More deber tenses
- All deber tenses
- Deber present
- Deber preterite
- Deber future
- Deber conditional
- Deber present subjunctive
- Deber affirmative commands
Other verbs in the imperfect
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