te debo
/te debo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I owe you" is translated into Spanish as te debo.
Te debo is a phrase used to acknowledge that you need to pay someone back, whether for money or a favor. You can follow the phrase directly with a noun to specify what is owed, such as te debo una cerveza (I owe you a beer). In casual contexts, the phrase te debo una can be used to mean "I owe you one".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of te, meaning "to you" and debo, meaning "I owe".
Which one should you use?
Te debo is used when addressing a single person informally (tú), whereas le debo is used for a single person in a formal context (usted).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, Te la debo is a variation of te debo used to express the same meaning with more emphasis. In Spain, Te lo debo is a common expression used to say "I owe you".
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a single person formally (usted), use le debo instead of te debo. If you owe a favor or money to a group of people, use les debo.
How do you pronounce it?
/te debo/
Did you know?
- The pronoun te in te debo descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *te, which is a direct ancestor of the English word 'thee'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying te debo una after a small favor creates a social bond called compromiso, where the debt is more about the relationship than the actual task.
- The verb deber is used both for financial debts and for moral obligations, meaning the same word is used for 'I owe you money' and 'I must' (as in debo irme).
Examples in context
- No te debo nada.I owe you nothing.This sentence is useful for saying that you owe nothing.Tatoeba #2068090 by Shishir, translation #1934789 by Spamster
- Te debo un favor.I owe you a favor.This sentence is useful for expressing that you owe a favor.Tatoeba #2389681 by hayastan, translation #2389600 by CK
- Te debo una cena.I owe you a dinner.This sentence is useful for stating that you owe a dinner.Tatoeba #3379022 by marcelostockle, translation #2729538 by CM
- Le debo el dinero que me prestóI owe you the money you lent me
- Tengo una deuda con usted por el servicio que me brindóI have a debt with you for the service you provided
- Te debo dinero por el conciertoI owe you money for the concert
- Te debo una cena por ayudarme con la mudanzaI owe you a dinner for helping me with the move
- ¡Ay, disculpa! Te la debo por olvidar tu cumpleañosOops, sorry! I owe you one for forgetting your birthday
- Te quedo debiendo muchos favoresI owe you many favors
- Te lo debo por ayudarme con mis problemasI owe you for helping me with my problems
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel is paying Sofía back for a coffee.
- DanielGracias por el café, Sofía.Thanks for the coffee, Sofía.
- SofíaNo hay problema, Daniel.No problem, Daniel.
- DanielTe debo los cinco euros.I owe you the five euros.
- SofíaEstá bien, no te preocupes.That's fine, don't worry.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
