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Spanish Phrase

Deberíamos limpiar la cocina.

/de.beˈɾi.a.mos limˈpjar la koˈθi.na/
Meaning"We should clean the kitchen."
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Meaning

‘Deberíamos limpiar la cocina’ means ‘We should clean the kitchen.’ It conveys a polite suggestion or a sense of shared responsibility to tidy up the cooking area.

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When to use

Use this sentence when you want to propose a cleaning task to the people you live with, at work, or in any group setting. It’s a courteous way to express a collective duty without sounding too commanding.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Deberíamoslimpiarlacocina.

1

Deber (conditional)

‘Deber’ in the conditional (debería, deberías, deberíamos…) expresses a suggestion, recommendation or moral obligation.

2

First‑person plural

The ending –íamos marks the conditional for ‘nosotros/nosotras’, so the verb agrees with a plural ‘we’ subject.

3

Infinitive after deber

When ‘deber’ is used to give advice, it is followed by an infinitive verb (limpiar).

4

Definite article ‘la’

‘La’ is the feminine singular article that matches the noun ‘cocina’.

5

Noun gender

‘Cocina’ is a feminine noun, so the article must be ‘la’, not ‘el’.

🗨In Conversation

A

¿Has visto el desorden en la cocina?

Have you seen the mess in the kitchen?

Sí, deberíamos limpiar la cocina.

Yes, we should clean the kitchen.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Debería limpiar la cocina.

    The verb must agree with the plural subject ‘we’; ‘debería’ is singular.

  • Deberíamos limpiar el cocina.

    ‘Cocina’ is feminine, so the article must be ‘la’. Using ‘el’ is a gender error.

  • Limpiamos la cocina.

    Missing the modal verb ‘deber’ removes the nuance of suggestion or obligation.

↔Alternatives

  • Tenemos que limpiar la cocina.

    We have to clean the kitchen.

  • Sería bueno limpiar la cocina.

    It would be good to clean the kitchen.

  • Podríamos limpiar la cocina.

    We could clean the kitchen.

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Cultural Tip

In many Spanish‑speaking households, using ‘deber’ to suggest a task sounds more collaborative than ‘tener que’, which can feel obligatory. Also, remember that ‘cocina’ can refer both to the room and to the act of cooking, so context matters. In Latin America the pronunciation of ‘cocina’ is /koˈsi.na/ (no ‘θ’ sound).