ты мне нужен
ty mne nuzhen
In Russian, 'I need you' is expressed as ты мне нужен (ty mne nuzhen).
This phrase is used to tell someone that they are important to you or that you love them. Beyond emotional or romantic expressions, it is also used in practical contexts to mean you need someone's help or presence for a specific task.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ты мне нужен translates to 'you to me [are] needed'. In this construction, 'you' acts as the subject and the person experiencing the need is in the dative case, represented by 'мне'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the phrase changes based on who you are addressing. The default form ты мне нужен is used when addressing a male. If the person you are speaking to is female, use ты мне нужна. If you are addressing more than one person or using the formal 'you' (вы), use вы мне нужны.
How do you pronounce it?
ty mne nuzhen
Did you know?
- In Russian, using ты мне нужен to describe a person can shift in meaning if you swap to мне нужно, which is used for things. Using the latter for a person can make them sound like a tool or an object.
- The word нужен comes from the same root as нужда, which means 'misery' or 'dire need'. This implies that needing someone in Russian can carry a heavier, more desperate weight than the English word 'need'.
- The word ты is a direct relative of the archaic English word 'thee'. Both words evolved from the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root *túh₂.
Examples in context
- Ты мне нужен, Том.I need you, Tom.This sentence is useful for addressing someone by name using ты мне нужен.Tatoeba #7844198 by Txoria, translation #6839471 by CK
- Ты мне нужен завтра.I need you tomorrow.This sentence is useful for expressing a need for someone at a specific time using ты мне нужен.Tatoeba #3850039 by Balamax, translation #3819216 by CK
- Ты мне нужен прямо сейчас.I need you right now.This sentence is useful for expressing an immediate need using ты мне нужен.Tatoeba #2836584 by odexed, translation #2276292 by CK
- Мне нужны ваши услуги, чтобы завершить этот проект.I need your services to complete this project.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet evening at home after a long day.
- Мария MariaДмитрий, ты мне нужен.Dmitriy, ty mne nuzhen.Dmitry, I need you.
- Дмитрий DmitryЯ рядом с тобой, Мария.Ya ryadom s toboy, Mariya.I am here with you, Maria.
- Мария MariaСпасибо, что ты всегда поддерживаешь меня.Spasibo, chto ty vsegda podderzhivayesh' menya.Thank you for always supporting me.
- Дмитрий DmitryЯ всегда буду твоей опорой.Ya vsegda budu tvoyey oporoy.I will always be your support.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries мне, ты, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
