dever

Dever is a Portuguese noun and verb with core meanings related to duty, obligation, and owing. As a noun, it denotes a responsibility or something one is morally, legally, or socially required to do. Common uses include dever cívico (civic duty), cumprir o dever (to fulfill one’s duty), and o dever de casa (homework). The concept of dever often carries normative weight, shaping expectations of conduct in personal, educational, and professional contexts.

Etymology: Dever comes from Latin debēre, meaning to owe or to ought. It has cognates in other Romance languages, notably Spanish deber and Italian dovere.

As a verb, dever functions like a modal verb, expressing obligation, necessity, or probability depending on context. In the present tense it is conjugated as eu devo, tu deves, ele/ela/você deve, nós devemos, vós deveis, eles/elas devem. It is commonly used with an infinitive: devo estudar (I must study), or with ter de to indicate external requirement: ele tem de estudar amanhã. It can also express probability in constructions like ele deve estar em casa (he must be at home).

In legal, contractual, or formal writing, dever describes duties arising from agreements, regulations, or professional responsibilities. In everyday speech, it conveys expectation or obligation that may be milder than a legal requirement.

See also: deber (Spanish), dovere (Italian), devoir (French).