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Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Deberíamos hablar más a menudo. - We should talk more often.

Hardcore Spanish (Spain)
/Lesson 53
/Deberíamos hablar más a menudo.

Deberíamos hablar más a menudo.

Word

Deberíamos hablar más a menudo.

Meaning

We should talk more often.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Spanish (Spain)

Lesson

Breakdown of Deberíamos hablar más a menudo.

Questions & Answers about Deberíamos hablar más a menudo.

What does deberíamos mean here?

Deberíamos means we should or we ought to.

It comes from the verb deber and is in the conditional tense:

deber = to have to / should / ought to
deberíamos = we should

In this sentence, it sounds like a suggestion rather than a strong obligation.

Why doesn’t the sentence include the word nosotros for we?

Because Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when the verb already makes the subject clear.

deberíamos already tells you the subject is we
So (nosotros) deberíamos hablar más a menudo is possible, but nosotros is usually unnecessary

You would normally add nosotros only for emphasis or contrast.

Why is hablar in the infinitive?

Because after deber in this kind of structure, Spanish uses an infinitive.

Pattern:

deber + infinitive
deberíamos hablar = we should talk

This is similar to English:

we should talk not
we should talking

Other examples:

Debo estudiar = I should study
Debemos salir = We should leave

What does mean exactly?

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más a menudo

Más a menudo means more often.

Breakdown:

a menudo = often
más = more

So:

hablar más a menudo = to talk more often

It is a very natural expression in Spanish.

Could I also say con más frecuencia instead of más a menudo?

Yes. Con más frecuencia also means more often.

So these are both correct:

Deberíamos hablar más a menudo
Deberíamos hablar con más frecuencia

Both are natural.
Más a menudo sounds a bit more everyday and conversational.
Con más frecuencia can sound slightly more formal or neutral, depending on context.

Why is there an accent mark in deberíamos?

The accent mark shows where the stress goes: de-be-rí-a-mos.

In the conditional tense, the endings have a written accent:

-ía
-ías
-ía
-íamos
-íais
-ían

So:

debería
deberíamos

The accent helps show the correct pronunciation and is part of the standard spelling.

Is deberíamos the same as debemos?

No.

debemos hablar = we must / we have to talk or sometimes we should talk, depending on context
deberíamos hablar = we should talk

Deberíamos is softer and more like a suggestion or recommendation.
Debemos can sound stronger, more like obligation.

Can I say deberíamos de hablar?

For this meaning, normally no.

In standard Spanish, especially in careful usage:

deber + infinitive = obligation, advice, recommendation
- Deberíamos hablar = We should talk
deber de + infinitive often expresses probability
- Debe de estar en casa = He must be at home / He’s probably at home

So in your sentence, Deberíamos hablar is the right form.

Is the word order fixed, or can it change?

The given order is the most natural one:

Deberíamos hablar más a menudo

But Spanish can move parts around for emphasis. For example:

Más a menudo deberíamos hablar

This is grammatically possible, but it sounds more marked or literary.
For normal conversation, the original order is best.

How would this sentence be pronounced in Spain?

A simple pronunciation guide is:

de-be-rí-a-mos a-blar mas a me-nu-do

A few useful points:

h in hablar is silent
r in hablar is a light tap sound
b and v are pronounced very similarly in Spanish
In most of Spain, más has a clear final s

A rough English-friendly version could be:

deh-beh-REE-ah-moss ah-BLAR mahs ah meh-NOO-doh

Does this sentence sound natural in Spain Spanish?

Yes, very natural.

Deberíamos hablar más a menudo is a common, idiomatic way to say this in Spain as well as in other Spanish-speaking countries.

It sounds warm, polite, and conversational.

Could this sentence mean something stronger than a suggestion?

Usually it sounds like a suggestion: we should talk more often.

But tone and context matter. Depending on how it is said, it could sound:

friendly
slightly emotional
mildly reproachful
romantic
practical

For example, after not seeing someone for a long time, it often sounds warm and natural rather than forceful.

What verb form is deberíamos exactly?

It is the first person plural conditional of deber.

Person and number:

first person plural = we

Conditional formation:

infinitive deber
plus conditional ending -íamos

So:

deber + íamos = deberíamos

This is why it means we should / we would have to / we ought to, depending on context.

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