debía estar

was supposed to be

→ deber
phrase Uncommon #25,589
was supposed to be Expresses an expectation or obligation in the past. With no, it means “wasn't supposed to be” or “shouldn't have been.”
SP: Debía estar en casa antes de las ocho.
EN: I was supposed to be home before eight.

Él no debía estar allí.

He shouldn't have been there.

— Running on Empty (1988)

¡Si ni siquiera debía estar ahí!

I wasn’t even supposed to be there!

— El hoyo (2019)

En el lugar donde debía estar el sol, la niebla se iluminó de rojo.

Where the sun should have been, the fog lit up in red.

— Solaris (1972)

Le dijeron que debía estar contento de haberse librado de ellos.

They told him he should be glad to have gotten rid of them.

— Escondido (2005)

Debía estar aquí.

I was meant to be here.

— La doble vida de Verónica (1991)

Y pensar que debía estar yo en su lugar.

And to think that I was supposed to be in his place.

— Бриллиантовая рука (1969)

Yo estaba donde debía estar.

I was where I was supposed to be.

— Jugada Maestra (2026)

Yo debía estar ahí.

I was supposed to be there.

— Los renglones torcidos de Dios (2022)

Todo estaba como debía estar.

Everything was as it should be.

Él no debía estar allá.

He wasn't supposed to be there.

— Cidade dos Homens (2007)

Esa piedra debía estar bajo llave.

That stone should be locked away.

— El castillo en el cielo (1986)

Un conserje que no debía estar allí.

A janitor who shouldn't have been there.

— Running on Empty (1988)

Tom no sabía a qué hora se suponía que debía estar allí.

Tom didn't know what time he was supposed to be there.

Maldición, debía estar aquí.

Damn, I was supposed to be here.

— Tres son multitud (1998)