Spanish Phrase
¿En qué crees que deberías mejorar?
Meaning
The sentence asks someone to reflect on their own performance and identify the areas they think need improvement. It is a polite, self‑critical question often used in coaching or performance‑review contexts.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving or receiving feedback, during a job interview, in a classroom self‑assessment, or any situation where you want the other person to think about personal growth.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Enquécreesquedeberíasmejorar?
En qué (question word)
‘En qué’ introduces a question about a specific area or aspect; the accent on ‘qué’ is mandatory.
crees que (verb + que)
‘Crees’ (you think) is followed by ‘que’ to introduce a subordinate clause, similar to ‘you think that…’.
deberías (conditional of deber)
The conditional form expresses a suggestion or recommendation: ‘you should’ rather than a firm obligation.
mejorar (infinitive)
The infinitive follows the modal verb ‘deberías’ to indicate the action that needs improvement.
🗨In Conversation
¿En qué crees que deberías mejorar?
What do you think you should improve on?
Creo que debería mejorar mi gestión del tiempo y mi capacidad de hablar en público.
I think I should improve my time management and my public‑speaking skills.
✕Common Mistakes
En que crees que deberías mejorar?
Missing the accent on ‘qué’; without it the phrase becomes a statement rather than a question.
¿En qué crees que debes mejorar?
Using ‘debes’ changes the nuance from a suggestion to a strong obligation.
¿En qué crees que deberías mejoras?
The infinitive ‘mejorar’ is required after ‘deberías’; ‘mejoras’ would be a conjugated verb and grammatically incorrect here.
↔Alternatives
¿En qué piensas que deberías mejorar?
In what do you think you should improve?
¿Qué aspectos crees que necesitas mejorar?
Which aspects do you think you need to improve?
¿En qué áreas consideras que podrías mejorar?
In which areas do you consider you could improve?
Cultural Tip
In Spanish‑speaking cultures, self‑assessment questions are often phrased with ‘crees que’ to keep the tone gentle and collaborative. Avoid sounding too direct; pairing the question with a friendly smile or a brief compliment softens the request for self‑critique.