Debo planchar la camisa antes de la entrevista.

I must iron the shirt before the interview.

Breakdown of Debo planchar la camisa antes de la entrevista.

• yo: I
• antes de: before
• deber: must
• .: period (punctuation mark)

Questions & Answers about Debo planchar la camisa antes de la entrevista.

What nuance does bold Debo bold have compared with bold tengo que bold and bold hay que bold?

• bold Debo bold = I must/I ought to. Often sounds stronger or more formal/moral.
• bold Tengo que bold = I have to. This is the most common, natural choice in everyday speech in Spain.
• bold Hay que bold = One must/it’s necessary (impersonal, no subject). Use it for general necessity, not for a personal obligation.

Does bold debo bold mean “I should” or “I must”?

Primarily “I must/I ought to” (a firm obligation). For a softer “I should,” use bold debería bold: bold Debería planchar la camisa… bold.

Can I say bold Debo de planchar la camisa bold?

Not for obligation. bold Deber de + infinitive bold expresses probability: bold Debe de estar en casa bold (He must be at home). bold Debo de planchar la camisa bold would mean “I probably iron the shirt,” which is odd. For obligation, use bold deber + infinitive bold: bold Debo planchar… bold. For deduction about the past: bold Debo de haber planchado la camisa bold = I must have ironed the shirt.

Why is bold planchar bold in the infinitive after bold debo bold?

After modal-type verbs (bold deber bold, bold poder bold, bold querer bold), Spanish uses the infinitive: bold Debo planchar… bold, bold Puedo planchar… bold. You do not conjugate the second verb.

Can I replace bold la camisa bold with a pronoun? Where does it go?