Log inSign up

Mi hermano todavía me debe el dinero del viaje.

Mi hermano todavía me debe el dinero del viaje.
My brother still owes me the money for the trip.
From Lesson 258:Arguments and debts at home (deber, reconocer, echar)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Mi hermano todavía me debe el dinero del viaje.

Why does deber mean "owes" here? Doesn't it usually mean "must" or "should"?
Deber has two common meanings. When followed by an infinitive verb, it acts like "must" or "should" (like debes ir, meaning "you must go"). But when it is followed by a noun, like el dinero here, it means "to owe".
Why does the sentence use del viaje ("of the trip") instead of para el viaje ("for the trip")?
In Spanish, it is very common to use de (which combines with el to form del) to link an object to the event it is associated with. While para el viaje would be understood, el dinero del viaje sounds much more natural, similar to saying "the trip money" in English.
Could I use aún instead of todavía to say "still"?
Yes, you absolutely can. Aún and todavía both mean "still" in this context and are entirely interchangeable. Saying Mi hermano aún me debe el dinero means exactly the same thing.
Why is the pronoun me placed before the verb debe?
In Spanish, object pronouns like me usually must go directly before a conjugated verb. Since debe is the only verb here and it is conjugated, me has to be placed right in front of it. You cannot attach it to the end of a conjugated verb like this.

Learn Mi hermano todavía me debe el dinero del viaje and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →