水が必要です
mizu ga hitsuyō desu
In Japanese, 'I need water' is expressed as 水が必要です (mizu ga hitsuyō desu).
The phrase 水が必要です is used to state that water is a requirement or a necessity. Depending on the situation, other phrases may be more natural. For example, in a restaurant or a social setting, it is much more natural to say 水をお願いします (water, please) rather than stating a necessity.
What does it mean word for word?
The word for water is 水 (mizu).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To ask for water politely, you can use 水をください。 (Please give me water) or the even more respectful 水を頂けますか。 For casual situations among friends, you can use 水ちょうだい。 (give me water) or the relaxed 水がほしいんだけど。 (I want water, but…). Dropping the desu at the end of a sentence, as in 水が欲しい, makes an expression more casual and informal.
How does it change in a sentence?
There is a distinction between necessity and desire. While mizu ga hitsuyō desu expresses that water is a requirement, mizu ga hoshii desu is used specifically to express a personal desire for water.
How do you pronounce it?
mizu ga hitsuyō desu
Did you know?
- Japanese has a concept called 水臭い (mizukusai), which literally means 'smells like water'. It is used to describe a situation where someone is being overly formal or distant with a close friend.
- The word 水 is used in the phrase 水に流す (mizu ni nagasu), which means 'to let it flow in the water'. This is the Japanese idiom for forgiving and forgetting a past conflict.
- The character 水 (mizu) is a pictograph that originally depicted a flowing stream of water. Its shape still mimics the vertical flow and ripples of a river.
Examples in context
- レストランで水をください。Please give me water at the restaurant.
- 水が必要です。mizu ga hitsuyou desu.I need water.
- 植物に水が必要です。shokubutsu ni mizu ga hitsuyou desu.The plants need water.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are hiking on a hot day.
- 結衣 Yui健太さん、大丈夫ですか？Kenta-san, daijoubu desu ka?Kenta, are you okay?
- 健太 Kenta喉が渇きました。水が必要です。Nodo ga kawakimashita. Mizu ga hitsuyou desu.I'm thirsty. I need water.
- 結衣 Yui私のボトルを使ってください。Watashi no botoru o tsukatte kudasai.Please use my bottle.
- 健太 Kentaありがとうございます。Arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
