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Debemos defender la libertad este año.

Debemos defender la libertad este año.
We must defend freedom this year.
From Lesson 327:Sharing Points of View·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Debemos defender la libertad este año.

Why is there a la before libertad when the English translation just says "freedom"?
In Spanish, abstract nouns like libertad (freedom), amor (love), or paz (peace) require a definite article (el, la, los, las) when used in a general sense. English usually leaves the article out.
Could I say Tenemos que defender instead of Debemos defender?
Yes, both mean "we must" or "we have to." Debemos often implies a moral obligation or strong personal recommendation, whereas tenemos que is the most common, everyday way to express a strict necessity or external rule.
Why is it este año and not esto año?
Año is a masculine singular noun, so it takes the masculine singular demonstrative adjective este. Esto is a neuter pronoun used for abstract ideas or unknown objects, and it is never placed directly in front of a noun.
Is there a rule for knowing the gender of words like libertad?
Yes! Nouns ending in the suffix -tad (like la libertad, la amistad, la dificultad) are always feminine. These often correspond to English words ending in "-ty" (liberty, difficulty).

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