Spanish · B1 · Family moment
Gentle Advice Together in Spanish
Offering advice gently is an important parenting skill. In Spanish, we use the conditional mood of the verb 'deber' (debería) to express 'should'. This sounds softer and more suggestive than the present tense 'debes', which implies a strict obligation or 'must'.
What you'll learn
- Express suggestions using the conditional mood of 'deber'.
- Distinguish between obligation (must) and recommendation (should).
- Formulate collaborative advice for daily routines and school activities.
Spanish phrases for gentle advice together
Deberías tomarte un breve descanso antes de terminar la tarea.
You should take a short break before you finish your homework.
'Deberías' is the informal 'you' form for advice.
Debería escuchar tu idea antes de darte un consejo.
I should listen to your idea before I give advice.
'Debería' is the first-person singular (I) form.
Deberíamos acordar una hora razonable para dormir en los días de escuela.
We should agree on a reasonable bedtime for school nights.
'Deberíamos' includes both the parent and the child in the suggestion.
Deberían revisar las instrucciones del proyecto antes de dividir las tareas.
You should all check the project instructions before you divide the tasks.
'Deberían' is used here for the plural 'you' (ustedes).
Tu amigo debería tener la oportunidad de explicar qué pasó.
Your friend should have a chance to explain what happened.
'Debería' is used for the third-person singular (he/she/friend).
Deberías decirle a tu entrenador si todavía te duele la rodilla.
You should tell your coach if your knee still hurts.
'Decirle' uses the indirect object pronoun 'le' to refer to the coach.
Deberíamos dejar algo de tiempo libre entre tus actividades del fin de semana.
We should leave some free time between your weekend activities.
A soft suggestion for scheduling.
Deberían discutir las reglas de la pijamada con sus padres.
You should all discuss the sleepover rules with your parents.
'Pijamada' is a common term for a sleepover in Latin America.
Hear these phrases and practise them
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
la tarea
homework
Can also mean 'task' or 'chore' depending on context.
acordar
to agree / to reach a consensus
Often used for mutual decisions.
consejo
advice / piece of advice
Unlike English, this noun is countable in Spanish (un consejo).
pijamada
sleepover
Also known as 'fiesta de pijamas' in Spain.
The Conditional of Deber (Should)
To give gentle advice, we use the conditional form of 'deber'. This is the equivalent of the English 'should' or 'ought to'. It is less forceful than the present tense 'debes' (you must).
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | debería | Yo debería dormir más. |
| Tú (You - informal) | deberías | Tú deberías comer algo. |
| Él/Ella/Usted (He/She/You formal) | debería | Él debería estudiar. |
| Nosotros (We) | deberíamos | Nosotros deberíamos irnos. |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (They/You all) | deberían | Ustedes deberían descansar. |
More examples
¿Crees que deberíamos llamar a tu abuela hoy?
Do you think we should call your grandmother today?
Framing advice as a question makes it even gentler.
No deberías preocuparte tanto por el examen.
You shouldn't worry so much about the exam.
Negative advice uses 'No' before the verb.