deberías
/debeɾias/from spelling rules
In Spanish, deberías means "you should."
deberías is a phrase used to provide recommendations or pieces of advice to another person.
Which one should you use?
To say "you should" in a formal way, use debería instead of deberías.
How does it change in a sentence?
deberías is the second-person singular informal conjugation of the verb deber.
How do you pronounce it?
/debeɾias/
Did you know?
- The verb deber is used both for giving advice and for discussing financial debts. Depending on the context, debo can mean either 'I should' or 'I owe'.
- To soften a suggestion and avoid sounding judgmental, native speakers often swap deberías for the phrase tendrías que. This literally translates to 'you would have to'.
- If you want to give advice that sounds like a polite command rather than a suggestion, you can use the present tense debes instead of the conditional deberías. This shifts the tone from 'you should' to 'you must'.
Examples in context
- No deberías ir solo.You should not go alone.This sentence is useful for expressing that you should not go alone using deberías.Tatoeba #1815356 by Shishir, translation #69783 by CK
- Deberías ir a verle.You should go to see him.This sentence is useful for suggesting that you should go to see him using deberías.Tatoeba #1873381 by Shishir, translation #63222 by CK
- Creo que deberías ir.I think that you should go.This sentence is useful for stating an opinion that you should go using deberías.Tatoeba #2680541 by Shishir, translation #2681475 by iainmb93
- Debería estudiar más.You should study more.
- Sería recomendable que consultara a un abogado.It would be advisable for you to consult a lawyer.
- Se le aconseja ahorrar dinero para el futuro.You are advised to save money for the future.
- Deberías ver esa película.You should watch that movie.
- Deberías bañarte temprano.You should take a shower early.
- Es aconsejable que hables con el profesor.It is advisable for you to speak with the professor.
- Sería recomendable que revisara su contrato antes de firmarlo.It would be advisable for you to review your contract before signing it.
- Deberías llamar a tus padres para decirles que llegaste bien.You should call your parents to let them know you arrived safely.
- Te recomendaría que pidas el plato del día.I would recommend you order the daily special.
- 645 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are talking about her work schedule.
- MateoElena, deberías descansar un poco más.Elena, you should rest a little more.
- ElenaEs que tengo mucho trabajo.It's just that I have a lot of work.
- MateoDeberías organizar mejor tu tiempo.You should organize your time better.
- ElenaTienes razón, lo intentaré.You're right, I'll try.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
