Learn Spanish (Latin America): Esa miel silvestre debe de ser muy cara.

Esa miel silvestre debe de ser muy cara.

That wild honey must be very expensive.

Breakdown of Esa miel silvestre debe de ser muy cara.

Questions & Answers about Esa miel silvestre debe de ser muy cara.

Why does this sentence use debe de ser instead of just debe ser?

The phrase deber de plus an infinitive is used for probability or supposition, meaning "must be" as a strong guess. Without the de, deber plus an infinitive expresses obligation, like a rule or duty. Since honey doesn't have an obligation to be expensive, we use debe de to show we are simply guessing its price based on the fact that it is wild.

Could I use salvaje instead of silvestre to say "wild" honey?

You should stick to silvestre. In Spanish, silvestre describes plants, crops, and plant-derived products like honey that grow naturally in the wild without human farming. Salvaje is typically reserved for wild animals, rough terrain, or savage behavior.

Is miel a feminine noun? I thought words ending in -l were usually masculine.

Yes, miel is feminine, which is why it pairs with the feminine words esa and cara. While many Spanish nouns ending in -l are masculine, there are a few very common feminine exceptions you just have to memorize, including la miel (honey), la sal (salt), and la piel (skin).

Would it be completely wrong to say debe ser muy cara without the de in everyday spoken Spanish?