Debiendo

Debiendo is the gerund (present participle) of the Spanish verb deber. In standard usage, it functions as a non-finite form that can express ongoing obligation or an outstanding liability. It is not a separate lexical item, but a verb form used in specific grammatical constructions, often in formal or written Spanish.

Usage and meanings

Debiendo commonly appears with estar to indicate that someone or something is currently owing or due to fulfill a payment or duty. For example: “La empresa está debiendo tres millones al banco” suggests ongoing indebtedness. It can also occur in legal or financial prose to describe liabilities that have not yet been settled. In some contexts, debiendo conveys the sense of a duty that remains to be carried out, similar to “owing” in English.

Nuances and frequency

In everyday speech, more direct forms such as “debo pagar” (I must pay) or “tengo que pagar” (I have to pay) are usually preferred. Debiendo is therefore more common in formal writing, financial reports, or narrative descriptions where the ongoing nature of the obligation or debt is being emphasized.

Related terms

Debiendo derives from the verb deber, which also appears in the present forms debe, deben, debo, etc. The related noun deuda means debt. Debere, deber de, and other periphrastic constructions are used to express obligation in different tenses and moods.

See also

Deber; Deuda; Obligación.