“Should have done” Translations

Question

What is the difference between deber in El pretérito indefinido + El infinitivo (compuesto) and deber in El condicional simple + El infinitivo compuesto? Both lessons say they mean Should have

Inma Sánchez · Answer

Hola JamieModal verbs in Spanish are a bit more complex than in English. You can often say the same thing using different modal verbs. Generally using deber in El Indefinido + haber + participle and using deber in El Condicional + haber + participle convey the same thing: should have done something. With this meaning it is more common to use the conditional though.Debiste haber llamado antes. (You should have called earlier.)Deberías haber llamado antes. (You should have called earlier.)SaludosInma