How to Say "they should" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “they should” is “deben” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Ellos deben terminar la tarea antes de salir.
They must finish the homework before going out.
Ustedes deben respetar las reglas del juego.
You (all) must respect the rules of the game.
Los doctores dicen que todos deben comer más verduras.
Doctors say that everyone should eat more vegetables.
Obligation: deber + [base verb]
To say someone 'must' or 'should' do something, you use 'deber' followed by the simple, unchanged form of the next verb. For example, 'Ellos deben estudiar' (They must study).
'deben' vs. 'tienen que'
'Deben' often suggests a moral duty or strong advice ('They should be honest'). 'Tienen que' usually implies an external rule or necessity ('They have to wear a uniform'). In many cases, they can be used interchangeably.
Adding an extra word
Mistake: “Ellos deben a estudiar.”
Correction: Ellos deben estudiar. The verb 'deber' connects directly to the next verb without needing a little word like 'a' or 'de' in between when talking about obligation.
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