Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| deber | /deˈbeɾ/ |
| estar en deuda | /estaɾ en deuda/ (from spelling rules) |
| adeudar | /adeuˈdaɾ/ |
deber is the everyday verb for owing money or a favor.
Which one should you use?
adeudar is a more formal or technical word for owing money, found in accounting and legal texts. estar en deuda means to be in debt and is often used figuratively to say you are grateful to someone for a kindness. Tener una deuda con means to have a debt with and appears in legal or financial contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico estar a deber is a colloquial way to say to be in debt.
How does it change in a sentence?
When deber means to owe, it takes the person owed as an indirect object and the thing owed as a direct object. The same verb also means must or should when it expresses an obligation, so context tells you which meaning is meant.
How do you pronounce it?
deber is pronounced /deˈbeɾ/, with the stress on the last syllable and a tapped r at the end.
When do people say it?
Saying Te debo una. is a friendly way to thank someone for a favor and promise to return it.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word 'deuda' shares a common ancestor with the English word 'due', both tracing back to the Latin 'debere'.
Examples in context
- Le debo dinero al banco.I owe the bank money.debo is the I form of the verb, and al banco names who is owed.
- Te debo una.I owe you one (favor, etc.).Te debo una. is a set way to say I owe you one after a favor.
- Le debo dineroI owe you money
- Tengo una deuda con el bancoI have a debt with the bank
- Estoy en deuda contigoI am in debt to you
- Estoy empeñado en pagar lo que te deboI am determined to pay you back
- Siempre anda en las deudasHe/she is always in debt
- Me adeuda dineroHe/she owes me money
- Te debo un favor.I owe you a favor.
- No te quiero deber nada.I don't want to owe you anything.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “owe” translations and entries deber, adeudar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adeudar, deber, deuda, en, estar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
