Se suponía que debía
/se suponia ke debia/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I was supposed to" is translated into Spanish as Se suponía que debía.
This phrase is used to express an expectation or duty that was established in the past but was ultimately not carried out.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally composed of Se suponía (it was supposed) and que debía (that I had to).
Which one should you use?
While Se suponía que debía is the default, you can also use the alternative Se suponía que tenía que, which uses the periphrasis tener que instead of deber to express the same idea.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb debía is in the imperfect indicative, which is used here to express a continuous or ongoing obligation in the past.
Did you know?
- The word que in this phrase is a grammatical 'usurper'. While it descends from the Latin 'quid', which meant 'what', it actually took over the entire functional workload of the Latin word 'quod' in Spanish.
- While se suponía que debía expresses a missed obligation, the present tense se supone que is often used to describe a common stereotype or a general social assumption about a group of people.
- If you use Se suponía que debía instead of Se suponía que tenía que, you might be hinting that you feel a sense of guilt. While both express a failed obligation, deber carries a subtle connotation of a moral or ethical duty.
Examples in context
- Tenía que hacer mi tarea, pero se me olvidó.I was supposed to do my homework, but I forgot.
- Debía llamar a mi jefe esta mañana, pero perdí su número.I was supposed to call my boss this morning, but I lost his number.
- Ella debía terminar el informe para hoy, pero tuvo problemas técnicos.She was supposed to finish the report for today, but she had technical problems.
- Tenía que salir temprano, pero me surgieron unos compromisos.I was supposed to leave early, but I had some commitments.
- Debía estudiar para el examen, pero preferí ver una película.I was supposed to study for the exam, but I preferred to watch a movie.
- Tenía que haber avisado sobre el cambio de planes.I was supposed to have informed about the change of plans.
- Él tenía que haber terminado el proyecto a tiempo.He was supposed to have finished the project on time.
- Se suponía que debía llamarte ayer.I was supposed to call you yesterday.
- Se suponía que debía terminar el informe hoy.I was supposed to finish the report today.
- Se suponía que debía ir a la fiesta.I was supposed to go to the party.
Example conversation
Mateo is explaining to María why he missed their meeting.
- MateoLo siento, María, se suponía que debía llegar temprano.I am sorry, María, I was supposed to arrive early.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, Mateo, pero te estábamos esperando.Don't worry, Mateo, but we were waiting for you.
- MateoTuve un problema con el coche de camino.I had a problem with my car on the way.
- MaríaEntiendo, espero que estés bien ahora.I understand, I hope you are well now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries que, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
