necesito
/neθesito/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I need" is said as necesito.
The phrase is used to express that something is required or necessary.
Which one should you use?
While necesito expresses a necessity or requirement, the word quiero is used to express a desire or preference.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form necesito already includes the subject "I" through its verb ending, so you do not need to say Yo necesito unless you want to add emphasis. To say "I need [a thing]", follow necesito directly with a noun, such as necesito agua. To say "I need to [do something]", follow necesito directly with an infinitive, such as necesito comer.
How do you pronounce it?
/neθesito/
Did you know?
- If you say necesito a alguien to refer to a person, you must use the preposition a. This is called the 'personal a' and is required because the object of the need is a human being.
- The root of necesito comes from the Latin 'necessarius', which originally referred to things that were unavoidable or inevitable.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is more polite to use the phrase me hace falta to express a need for an object rather than using necesito, which can sound too direct.
Examples in context
- Necesito ir a casa.I need to go home.This sentence shows how to use necesito with an infinitive to express a need to go somewhere.Tatoeba #1428326 by marcelostockle, translation #1140167 by CK
- Necesito ir a mear.I need to pee.This sentence uses necesito to express a physical necessity.Tatoeba #3847239 by cueyayotl, translation #3379282 by aengelberg
- Sé lo que necesito.I know what I need.This sentence demonstrates the use of necesito in a statement about one's own needs.Tatoeba #4554892 by swyter, translation #2376277 by CK
- Necesito un bolígrafoI need a pen
- Me hace falta un boletoI need a ticket
- Requiero asistenciaI need assistance
- Necesito un favorI need a favor
- Me hace falta ayudaI need help
- Necesito hablar con ustedI need to speak with you
- Necesito que me ayudesI need you to help me
- 932 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a supermarket aisle.
- ElenaAlejandro, necesito leche para la cena.Alejandro, I need milk for dinner.
- AlejandroClaro, ¿necesitas algo más?Sure, do you need anything else?
- ElenaSí, necesito pan también.Yes, I need bread too.
- AlejandroMuy bien, lo pondré en el carrito.Very well, I will put it in the cart.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
