New here? This is lesson 197 of a free 238-lesson Spanish course.
Free Spanish CourseLesson 197 of 238
I should have in Spanish
Justin got on the wrong bus and left Amanda waiting at the café. Now he has to own the miss out loud.
In this lesson you'll say what you should have done, what you shouldn't have done, and how you'd have done it with better information.
You'll finish with the line that closes every regret: next time, differently. No grammar lecture, just four chunks you can say in one breath.
By the end of this lesson
Say what you should have done, shouldn't have done, and what you'll change next time.
- Debí ___I should have ___
- No debí ___I shouldn't have ___
- Si hubiera sabido, ___If I'd known, I'd have ___
- La próxima lo hago diferenteNext time I'll do it differently
Scene — the wrong bus
Café Laurel, early evening. Amanda is at the corner table with an empty cup, and her interview went well.
Justin finally walks in, out of breath, half an hour late. Yako is at the next table on his two chairs, pretending not to listen.
Learn — regret, in one breath
Four chunks carry the whole story of a small miss: regret, sharper regret, the if-I'd-known part, and the promise.
Say them as single pieces. Debí and hubiera will feel natural long before anyone explains them.
Debí ___
I should have ___
When to use it: Say this right after a miss, to name the thing you should have done.
Debí is the preterite of deber, pointing at one past moment, not a habit.
No debí ___
I shouldn't have ___
When to use it: Say this when you regret something you actually did and want to name it.
The no goes in front of debí: no debí subir means I shouldn't have gotten on.
Si hubiera sabido, ___
If I'd known, I'd have ___
When to use it: Say this when better information would have changed what you did.
Hubiera is a past subjunctive, but learn si hubiera sabido as one fixed piece.
Say it: Hubiera sounds like weh-BYEH-rah.
La próxima lo hago diferente
Next time I'll do it differently
When to use it: Say this to close the regret and promise a change for next time.
La próxima stands for la próxima vez, so the word vez gets dropped.
Story — half an hour late
Watch Justin own his miss in four moves: what he should have done, what he shouldn't have, the if-I'd-known part, and the promise.
Amanda doesn't pile on. Yako, of course, has a story of his own.
- Justin rushes in, out of breath. Amanda checks the time on her phone without saying anything.
Amanda¿Qué pasó? Te esperé media hora.What happened? I waited half an hour for you.
JustinPerdón. Me equivoqué de camión. Debí tomar la 27.Sorry. I got on the wrong bus. I should have taken the 27.- Amanda¿Y a cuál subiste?And which one did you get on?
- JustinAl que va al centro. No debí subir sin preguntar.The one going downtown. I shouldn't have gotten on without asking.
- Yako leans over from the next table, coffee in hoof.
YakoYo una vez me subí a uno y acabé en Toluca.I once got on one and ended up in Toluca.- Amanda¿En serio?Really?
- YakoNi modo. Buen viaje gratis.Oh well. A free trip.
- JustinSi hubiera sabido, habría caminado. Está cerca.If I'd known, I'd have walked. It's close.
- AmandaNo te preocupes. Ya estás aquí, y me fue bien en la entrevista.Don't worry. You're here now, and my interview went well.
- JustinQué bueno. Pues la próxima lo hago diferente.That's good. Well, next time I'll do it differently.
- JustinEn fin, ya quedamos a mano. ¿Café?Anyway, now we're even. Coffee?
- AmandaSí, pero ahora yo pago.Yes, but this time I'm paying.
Practice — own the miss
Eleven quick exercises: listen, match, fill, build. Each one puts you back on the wrong bus for a moment.
Two older lines, En fin and Ni modo, come along for the ride.
0 of 11 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
Spanish
Debí ___Drop the English hereNo debí ___Drop the English hereLa próxima lo hago diferenteDrop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
Name the bus you should have taken: the 27 would have brought you straight here.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
No debí ___
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
Next time I'll do it differently
La ____ lo hago diferente
What do you say?
What do you say?
You got on a bus without asking where it went, and it left you far away. Name your mistake.
True or false?
True or false?
This line says something that really happened.
Which one doesn’t belong?
Which one doesn’t belong?
Build the line
Build the line
Next time I'll do it differently
Tap the words in order.
What do you say?
What do you say?
Amanda says not to worry. You want to close the regret and promise a change.
Pick the reply
Yako says:
Pick the reply
Acabaste en Toluca por no preguntar. ¿Qué dices cuando aceptas que ya pasó?
You ended up in Toluca for not asking. What do you say when you accept that it has already happened?
And you reply with:
Say it — tell Amanda what went wrong
Now you're Justin, arriving late. Amanda asks, and you own the miss with the four lines you learned.
Tap the microphone when it's your turn, and tap ▶ if you want the model line first. Your recording stays on your device.
- Amanda¿Qué pasó? Te esperé media hora.What happened? I waited half an hour for you.
- Justin (you)Say you should have taken the 27 bus.
Say you should have taken the 27 bus.
Debí ___
I should have ___
0 of 4 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Spanish | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Debí ___ | I should have ___ | |
| No debí ___ | I shouldn't have ___ | |
| Si hubiera sabido, ___ | If I'd known, I'd have ___ | |
| La próxima lo hago diferente | Next time I'll do it differently |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want these regret lines in your pocket? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
One card a day keeps the wrong bus away: say debí, no debí, si hubiera sabido out loud until they flow.
Open Yak Cards