نحتاج إلى حماية.

A natural pronunciation is:

naḥtāju ilā ḥimāya

If you pronounce the full case ending in careful/formal reading, it becomes:

naḥtāju ilā ḥimāyatin

A few notes:

• نحتاج = naḥtāju
• إلى = ilā
• حماية = ḥimāya in pause, but ḥimāyatin when fully inflected after إلى

Word by word:

• نحتاج = we need
• إلى = to
• حماية = protection

So the sentence literally looks like We need to protection, but in correct English it means We need protection.

With this verb, إلى is part of the normal Arabic structure.

In Arabic, the verb itself often shows the subject.

• نحتاج already means we need
• the prefix نـ on the present-tense verb usually marks we

So Arabic does not need a separate word for we here.

You can say:

• نحتاج إلى حماية = We need protection
• نحن نحتاج إلى حماية = also We need protection, but with an explicit we, often for emphasis or clarity

Because the verb احتاج / يحتاج normally goes with إلى in Modern Standard Arabic.

So the standard pattern is:

• يحتاج إلى شيء = he needs something
• نحتاج إلى مساعدة = we need help
• أحتاج إلى وقت = I need time

This is just how the verb is used. English says need something, but Arabic commonly says need to something with إلى.

In standard MSA, نحتاج إلى حماية is the safer and more correct choice.

You may sometimes see or hear نحتاج حماية in less formal usage or influenced by modern style, but for a learner of Modern Standard Arabic, it is best to learn:

• احتاج إلى
• يحتاج إلى
• نحتاج إلى

So yes, you may come across omission of إلى, but نحتاج إلى حماية is the standard form.

Because حماية here means protection in a general, non-specific sense.

• حماية = protection / some protection / protection in general
• الحماية = the protection, meaning specific protection already known from context

In English, we often use no article with abstract nouns:

• We need protection
• We need help
• We need security

Arabic often does the same with an indefinite abstract noun.

So:

• نحتاج إلى حماية = We need protection
• نحتاج إلى الحماية = We need the protection, or we need protection in a more specific/definite sense

Yes. حماية is a noun meaning protection.

More specifically, it is a verbal noun (called a maṣdar) related to the verb:

• حمى / يحمي = to protect

So:

• حماية = protecting / protection

Arabic often uses verbal nouns where English uses abstract nouns. This is very common.

Examples:

• تعليم = education / teaching
• مساعدة = help / assistance
• حماية = protection

After the preposition إلى, the following noun is in the genitive case.

So in full vocalization, you would write:

• نحتاجُ إلى حِمايةٍ

That final -in sound is the genitive tanwīn of an indefinite noun.

In normal everyday writing, short vowels are usually not written, so you simply see:

• نحتاج إلى حماية

This is because ة is tāʾ marbūṭa.

Its pronunciation changes depending on context:

• In pause, it is usually pronounced like -a
  • حماية = ḥimāya
• When grammatical endings are pronounced, it becomes -at
  • حمايةٌ = ḥimāyatun
  • حمايةٍ = ḥimāyatin

So in this sentence:

• in normal speech: ḥimāya
• in full formal reading with case endings: ḥimāyatin

Yes, absolutely.

Both are correct:

• نحتاج إلى حماية
• نحن نحتاج إلى حماية

The version without نحن is more neutral and very common, because the verb already tells you the subject.

Adding نحن can:

• add emphasis
• create contrast, as in We need protection, not money
• make the subject extra clear

نحتاج is in the present/imperfect tense.

In Arabic, this form can refer to:

• present: we need
• near future: we will need, depending on context
• general truth or ongoing situation

So by itself, نحتاج إلى حماية usually means We need protection, but context could make it more future-oriented.

If you want to mark the future clearly, Arabic can add particles such as:

• سنحتاج إلى حماية = We will need protection
• سوف نحتاج إلى حماية = We will need protection

The dictionary form is:

• احتاج = to need
• present: يحتاج
• with we: نحتاج

This verb is commonly learned as:

• احتاج إلى = to need

So when memorizing it, it is best to memorize the whole pattern, not just the single word:

• احتاج إلى شيء = to need something

That will help you produce correct sentences naturally.