no debería
/no debeɾia/from spelling rules
The English phrase "shouldn't" is translated into Spanish as no debería.
no debería is used to express advice, probability or a moral obligation that one should avoid. You can also use the imperative no hagas to give stronger advice than the conditional mood.
Meaning: Should not (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is formed by the negation no followed by the conditional form of the verb deber.
Which one should you use?
While no debería (conditional) is the most common way to say "shouldn't", no debe (present indicative) can also be used to express a strong prohibition or a direct command that one must not do something. In some Latin American countries, it is common to use the expression no deberías de instead of no deberías.
How do you pronounce it?
/no debeɾia/
Did you know?
- The word deber used in no debería is a cognate of the English word 'debt', as both stem from the Latin root for owing something.
- The word no used to negate your sentence shares a common ancestor with the English word 'nay', both descending from the same Latin roots.
- In many parts of Spain, adding de to create the phrase no debería de is viewed as a grammatical error, despite being a very common habit in spoken speech.
Examples in context
- No debería ser así.It shouldn't be like that.This sentence shows how to use no debería to describe a situation.Tatoeba #1715879 by marcelostockle, translation #1112125 by Scott
- ¿Por qué no debería?Why shouldn't I?This is an example of asking a question using no debería.Tatoeba #1466694 by marcelostockle, translation #10006689 by DJ_Saidez
- Eso no debería pasar.That shouldn't happen.This sentence uses no debería to describe an event that should not occur.Tatoeba #10008343 by arh, translation #9663408 by CK
- No tendría que esperar tanto tiempo para obtener una respuesta.You shouldn't have to wait so long for an answer.
- No deberías comer tanto chocolate.You shouldn't eat so much chocolate.
- 317 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are discussing a heavy workload at the office.
- MaríaJavier, no deberías descansar tan poco.Javier, you shouldn't rest so little.
- JavierLo sé, pero tengo mucho trabajo.I know, but I have a lot of work.
- MaríaTu salud es lo más importante.Your health is the most important thing.
- JavierTienes razón, María. Gracias.You're right, Maria. Thanks.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries no, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
