deve

Deve is a conjugated form found in several Romance languages, most notably Portuguese and Italian. In Portuguese, deve is the third-person singular present indicative of the verb dever, and in Italian it is the third-person singular present indicative of dovere. In both languages, the form expresses notions of obligation, necessity, or probability, though the exact usage and nuance differ by language.

Etymology and range of meaning: Both dever and dovere descend from Latin debere, meaning to owe or to ought. In modern usage, deve can convey obligation (you must), recommendation (you should), or likelihood (he must be arriving). In addition, the Portuguese verb dever has a literal sense of owing something, as in ele deve dinheiro a ela (he owes her money), though in everyday usage the obligation meaning dominates for the same form.

Usage in Portuguese: Deve is used with an infinitive to indicate obligation or expectation (Você deve estudar; Ele deve sair em breve). It also appears in impersonal constructions with se to express general obligation (Deve-se respeitar as leis). Dialect differences exist: in Portugal, tu deves/ele deve, with you singular forms varying by region; in Brazil, você deve predominantly uses the third-person form.

Usage in Italian: Deve is used similarly to indicate must or should (Lui deve partire domani; Che cosa deve fare?). It is common in formal writing and everyday speech to express necessity or probability (Deve essere già arrivato). The meaning is close to the Portuguese sense, though idiomatic usage differs between the two languages.

In summary, deve is a key present-tense form linked to obligation and probability in both Portuguese and Italian, tracing back to Latin debere.