te debo una
/te debo una/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I owe you one" can be translated into Spanish as te debo una.
The phrase is used to thank someone and acknowledge that you will return their favor in the future. You can also be more explicit by saying te debo un favor to mean "I owe you a favor". Another related phrase is te la debo, which is an informal way to say "I owe it to you".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase te debo una is composed of te (to you), debo (I owe) and una (one [favor]).
Which one should you use?
While te debo una is a general way to say "I owe you one", te la debo is specifically used in informal contexts to mean "I owe it to you".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, use os debo una when addressing a group of people informally. In Latin America, or when using formal settings in Spain, use les debo una to address a group of people.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes based on whom you are addressing. Use le debo una for a single person in a formal context. Use os debo una for an informal group in Spain, and les debo una for a group in Latin America or a formal group in Spain.
How do you pronounce it?
/te debo una/
Did you know?
- The phrase te la debo uses the feminine pronoun la to refer to a favor, even though the word favor itself is masculine in Spanish.
- While te debo una is a friendly way to express gratitude, using the actual noun deuda (debt) can make a social favor sound like a heavy or legal obligation.
- The word una in this phrase and the English word 'one' are distant linguistic cousins, both descending from the Proto-Indo-European root *óynos.
Examples in context
- Te debo una, muchas graciasI owe you one, thank you very much
- ¡Te la debo, bro!I owe it to you, bro!
- ¡Estoy en deuda contigo! ¡Gracias por tu ayuda!I am in debt to you! Thank you for your help!
- Gracias por la ayuda, te debo una.Thanks for the help, I owe you one.
- Si me prestas tu coche, te debo una.If you lend me your car, I owe you one.
- No te preocupes, te debo una de verdad.Don't worry, I really owe you one.
Example conversation
Mateo is thanking María for helping him move some heavy boxes.
- MateoMuchas gracias por ayudarme con las cajas, María.Thank you so much for helping me with the boxes, María.
- MaríaNo es nada, Mateo, no hay problema.It's nothing, Mateo, no problem.
- MateoEn serio, te debo una.Seriously, I owe you one.
- María¡Está bien! Solo invítame a un café la próxima vez.Alright! Just buy me a coffee next time.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries te, una, CC BY-SA 4.0.
