Ми повинні захищати природу.

We must protect nature.

Breakdown of Ми повинні захищати природу.

• ми: we
• природа: the nature
• захищати: to protect
• повинен: must

Questions & Answers about Ми повинні захищати природу.

What exactly does the word повинні mean here—“must” or “should”?

Повинні expresses obligation/duty. It usually sits between English “must” and a strong “should,” and context decides which fits better.

• Stronger, near absolute duty: “must.”
• Softer or moral duty: “should.” Compare:
• Ми мусимо… = we absolutely must (very strong, urgent/inescapable).
• Нам треба / потрібно… = we need to / it’s necessary (impersonal necessity).
• Ми маємо… = we have to (external requirement).
• Нам варто / слід… = we should/ought to (advisory, milder).

Why is it повинні and not повинен/повинна/повинно?

Because ми (we) is plural, so the predicate adjective agrees in number: plural повинні.

• Masculine singular: повинен (e.g., Я повинен… if the speaker is male)
• Feminine singular: повинна (e.g., Я повинна… if the speaker is female)
• Neuter singular: повинно (mostly with impersonal or “it”-type subjects)
• Plural (ми/ви/вони): повинні

Why use захищати (imperfective) and not захистити (perfective)?

Захищати is imperfective, used for general, habitual, or ongoing actions—perfect for a general obligation.
Захистити is perfective and focuses on a single, completed result. Use it when you mean “achieve protection” in a specific instance.

• General duty: Ми повинні захищати природу.
• Specific/one-off result: Ми повинні захистити природу від цієї загрози.

Why is it природу and not the dictionary form природа?

Because природу is the accusative case (direct object) of the feminine noun природа. In Ukrainian, most feminine nouns ending in -а change to -у in the accusative:

• Nominative (subject): природа
• Accusative (object): природу Examples: любити природу (to love nature), охороняти природу (to guard nature).

Can I drop the pronoun Ми in Ukrainian?

Often yes—Ukrainian can omit subject pronouns when the form makes the subject clear.
However, here повинні is just plural; without ми it could mean “we” or “they.” So:

• With pronoun (clear): Ми повинні захищати природу.
• Without pronoun (context needed): Повинні захищати природу.

How do I pronounce the sentence and where is the stress?

Stresses: Ми пови́нні захища́ти приро́ду.
Approximate transliteration: My povýnni zakhyshcháty pryródu.

• и = a relaxed “i” sound (not “ee”); English has no exact match—think of the vowel in “roses” (unstressed) but more central.
• х = “kh,” a voiceless throat sound.
• щ = “shch” in one consonant (like “fresh cheese” squeezed together).
• Rolled р.
• Double нн is written; you’ll hear a clear “n” before і.

Could I use other ways to express obligation, like мусимо, маємо, or треба?

Yes; each has a nuance:

• Ми мусимо захищати природу. Very strong, categorical must.
• Ми маємо захищати природу. “We have to” (often external requirement).
• Нам треба/потрібно захищати природу. It’s necessary (impersonal, neutral).
• Нам слід/варто захищати природу. We ought to/should (advisory, milder).
• Ми зобов’язані захищати природу. We are obligated (legal/official tone).

How do I make this negative? What’s the difference between “must not” and “don’t have to” in Ukrainian?

• Prohibition/obligation not to do (must not/shouldn’t): Ми не повинні захищати природу.
  Note: That sentence is grammatically fine but semantically odd; use it just to understand the grammar.
• Lack of necessity (don’t have to): Нам не треба/не потрібно захищати природу. or Ми не зобов’язані захищати природу. Using не повинні usually implies “shouldn’t/mustn’t,” not merely “don’t have to.”

Is the word order fixed? Can I move words around?

Word order is flexible and used for emphasis:

• Neutral: Ми повинні захищати природу.
• Emphasizing “nature”: Природу ми повинні захищати.
• Emphasizing the duty: Ми повинні природу захищати. All are grammatical; intonation and context decide the nuance.

Do I need an article like “the” before природу?

No. Ukrainian has no articles. Природу here already means “(the) nature” in a general sense.

How does захищати conjugate? How would I say it in other persons/tenses?

Present (imperfective):

• я захища́ю, ти захища́єш, він/вона/воно захища́є
• ми захища́ємо, ви захища́єте, вони захища́ють Future (imperfective, ongoing/regular): use “буду/будеш/…” + infinitive:
• Ми будемо захища́ти природу. = We will be protecting/We will protect (general/ongoing). For a single successful act, use perfective: ми захисти́мо природу (we will protect/secure it).

Why not природі (dative)? When would that form be used?

Захищати takes a direct object → accusative (природу).
Dative (природі) is used with verbs that require it, e.g.:

• допомага́ти природі (to help nature)
• шкоди́ти природі (to harm nature)
• сприя́ти природі (to promote/benefit nature) So choose the case based on the verb’s government.