Necesito uno
/neθesito uno/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'i need one' is translated into Spanish as Necesito uno.
In Spanish, the subject pronoun 'yo' (I) is often omitted because the verb ending 'necesito' already indicates that the subject is 'I'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word for 'one' must change to 'una' if the object being referred to is feminine. The word for 'one' must change to 'uno' if the object being referred to is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/neθesito uno/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, saying Necesito uno can sound overly formal or dramatic, as if you are in a survival situation, whereas a more natural way to ask for a single item is often to use the verb querer.
- The word uno is a linguistic relative of the English word 'one' and the Russian word один, as they all trace back to the same Proto-Indo-European root.
- While uno means 'one', it is also used in Spanish to create an impersonal 'one' or 'you' in general sentences, such as Uno nunca sabe, meaning 'one never knows'.
Examples in context
- ¿Necesito uno?Do I need one?Tatoeba #4587214 by Francisco_M, translation #3168282 by CK
- Necesito uno más.I need one more.Tatoeba #2856587 by marcelostockle, translation #2387512 by CK
- Me vendría bien tener uno.It would be good for me to have one.
- Necesito uno para mi colección.I need one for my collection.
Example conversation
Alejandro is helping María find a spare pen in the office.
- María¿Tienes un bolígrafo libre?Do you have a free pen?
- AlejandroNo tengo ninguno, pero puedo comprar uno.I don't have any, but I can buy one.
- MaríaEstá bien, necesito uno ahora mismo.That's fine, I need one right now.
- AlejandroTe traeré uno en un momento.I will bring you one in a moment.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries uno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
