When guiding a rookie secret agent, you need to give clear but constructive advice. In Spanish, we use the conditional tense of certain verbs to make recommendations.
Strong advice with deberías
To tell someone what they "should" do, use deberías, the conditional form of deber (must). Just follow it directly with an infinitive verb.
| For this confidential mission, you should be very discreet. | Para esta misión confidencial, deberías ser muy discreto. |
| You should watch that spy at the hotel. | Deberías vigilar a ese espía en el hotel. |
To tell an agent what not to do, simply place no before deberías.
| You should not lie to our informant. | No deberías mentirle a nuestro informante. |
Offering options with podrías
If you want to soften your advice and suggest what someone "could" do, use podrías, the conditional form of poder (to be able to). Like deberías, it is always followed by an infinitive.
| You could hide the briefcase in the car. | Podrías esconder el maletín en el coche. |
| You could flee through the bathroom window. | Podrías huir por la ventana del baño. |
Putting it all together
You will frequently use both of these verbs to explain the best course of action and the possible alternatives in the field.
| You should suspect her because you could fall into a trap. | Deberías sospechar de ella porque podrías caer en una trampa. |
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