endeudarse
verbCEFR B1
What does “endeudarse” mean in English?
to go into debt, to take on debt
to go into debt, to take on debt (reflexive; noun: la deuda)
Example sentences
Si no controla sus gastos, corre el riesgo de endeudarse más de lo que sus ingresos mensuales le permiten asumir con seguridad.
If you do not control your spending, you risk going into debt beyond what your monthly income allows you to manage safely.
Muchas familias se endeudaron para pagar la hipoteca durante la crisis y tardaron años en recuperar la estabilidad financiera.
Many families went into debt to pay their mortgages during the crisis and took years to recover financial stability.
Le recomendamos que no se endeude con más de una entidad al mismo tiempo, ya que eso podría afectar a su calificación crediticia.
We recommend that you do not go into debt with more than one institution at the same time, as that could affect your credit rating.
How to use it
Endeudarse means 'to go into debt / to get into debt' and is always reflexive. The noun is la deuda (debt). At B1 it appears in warning or advice contexts and often collocates with more than (más de lo que uno puede asumir). The preposition con is used for naming the creditor: endeudarse con el banco. Register is neutral to formal; it is not conversational.
Common mistake
Endeudarse is always reflexive — never 'endeuda a alguien' in the sense of the person going into debt themselves. The deuda is the state; endeudarse is the process of entering that state. Learners sometimes confuse with deber (to owe a specific amount) — endeudarse is the broader financial situation.