This is the 4834th most frequent Spanish word.
debía
"Debía" means "had to" or "was supposed to."
In this sentence, "debía" is used to express an obligation or requirement in the past that was not necessarily fulfilled.
Yo debía estudiar para el examen, pero me distraje.
I had to study for the exam, but I got distracted.
In this example, "debía" conveys a past duty or commitment that was planned or expected.
Nosotros debíamos ayudar con la limpieza, pero se nos hizo tarde.
We were supposed to help with the cleaning, but we ran late.
Here, "debía" indicates an expectation or necessity in the past based on circumstances.