Expressing need.
The Japanese word for need is 「hitsuyō ひつよう 必要」
The most basic way to express need is "I need X" where X is a noun. This is formed in the following way.
私はXが必要です。
わたしはXがひつようです。
watashi wa X ga hitsuyō desu.
Here are some example sentences:
私はお金が必要です。
Watashi wa okane ga hitsuyō desu.
I need money.
私は時間が必要です。
Watashi wa jikan ga hitsuyō desu.
I need time.
私は新しい仕事が必要です。
Watashi wa atarashī shigoto ga hitsuyō desu.
I need a new job.
私はお医者さんが必要です。
Watashi wa oishasan ga hitsuyō desu.
I need a doctor.
To form these sentences in past tense and say something was needed the copula is changed into the past tense. Desu becomes deshita.
私はお医者さんが必要でした。
Watashi wa oishasan ga hitsuyō deshita.
I needed a doctor.
Questions can also be formed with ka to ask if something is needed.
予約は必要ですか？
yoyaku wa hitsuyō desu ka?
Do I need a reservation?
あなたには何が必要ですか？
anata ni wa nani ga hitsuyō desu ka?
What do you need?
Another useful sentence pattern is "I need to X" where X is a verb. This can also be interpretted as "I must X". To form this contruction the verb stays in it's base form dictionary form and ~hitsuyō ga aru is added.
Example sentences:
私は日本に行く必要があります。
Watashi wa nihon ni iku hitsuyō ga arimasu.
I need to go to Japan.
私は勉強する必要があります。
Watashi wa benkyō suru hitsuyō ga arimasu.
I need to study.
毎日私は練習する必要があります。
Mainichi watashi wa renshū suru hitsuyō ga arimasu.
I need to practice every day.
The negative "don't need to X" is formed by conjugating aru to arimasen.
毎週あなたはショッピングする必要がありません。
Maishū anata wa shoppingu suru hitsuyō ga arimasen.
You don't need to go shopping every week.
A more casual way to say "don't need to X" when X is a verb is with ~hitsuyō wa nai
急ぐ必要はない
Isogu hitsuyō wa nai.
there is no need to hurry.
あなたは行く必要はない
anata wa iku hitsuyō wa nai.
you dont need to go.
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Japanese | Category
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Oct 25, 2008 17:39 | Views
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