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I OWE YOU ONE

25 / 06 / 2012

I OWE YOU ONE: meaning and examples

Good morning!

I hope you had a fun weekend. It was San Juan's Day in Spain, so perhaps you saw some fireworks or set off some firecrackers to celebrate the beginning of summer!

Today we will answer the following question that we received from Juan Carlos.

I would like to have your opinion about a Spanish sentence that I don't know if it has a direct translation to English or if it has meaning or not in English because it is used or not. The expression is "Te debo una". Can I translate it as "I owe you one". As you probably know, we use this expression when someone does you a favor or helps you.

Juan Carlos is correct and it is a good expression to know.

Today's expression is: I owe you one

It means: to indicate to another person who has previously done you a favour that you now owe them a favour. You are in this person's debt (deuda) and you can use this expression to say so.

Example 1:
Greg: Thank you so much for picking my daughter up at the airport, Mark. I owe you one!
Mark: No problem. I was happy to do it.

Example 2:
Judith: I really appreciate you helping me to complete my tax return. I really owe you one; so if there is anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask.
Sandy: Don't worry, Judith. I actually enjoy working with numbers. However, if you want to take me out to lunch, I won't say no!

Thanks for the suggestion, Juan Carlos.


Have a fantastic day everyone!

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