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necesitan

/ne-se-SEE-tan/

VerbA1regular ar

they need?Talking about what a group of people or things requires.,you need?Talking to a group of people (you all) formally.

Also:they require?A slightly more formal alternative.

Quick Reference

infinitivenecesitar

gerundnecesitando

past Participlenecesitado

📝 In Action

Ellos necesitan más tiempo para terminar el proyecto.

They need more time to finish the project.

Ustedes necesitan comprar los boletos antes del viernes.

You all need to buy the tickets before Friday.

Las plantas necesitan agua y sol para crecer.

The plants need water and sun to grow.

Word Connections

Synonyms

requerir (to require)
precisar (to need, require)

Antonyms

sobrar (to have in excess)
prescindir de (to do without)

Common Collocations

necesitan ayuda – they need help
necesitan urgentemente – they urgently need
necesitan un descanso – they need a break

💡 Grammar Points

Who is 'necesitan'?

This one word can mean 'they need' or 'you all need' (when speaking formally). The context of the conversation will tell you which one it is.

Needing to DO something

When you need to do an action, just add the basic '-ar', '-er', or '-ir' form of the verb right after 'necesitan'. For example: 'Necesitan comer' (They need to eat). No extra 'to' is needed like in English.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the pronoun

Mistake: ""Necesitan un coche." (Who needs a car? Them or you all?)"

Correction: When it might be confusing, it's clearer to say 'Ellos necesitan un coche' (They need a car) or 'Ustedes necesitan un coche' (You all need a car).

⭐ Usage Tips

Sounding More Natural

Just like in English, 'necesitar' is direct. For a softer or more polite request, you might hear people use verbs like 'querer' (to want) or a different form like 'necesitarían' (they would need).

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustednecesita

yonecesito

túnecesitas

ellos/ellas/ustedesnecesitan

nosotrosnecesitamos

vosotrosnecesitáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustednecesitaba

yonecesitaba

túnecesitabas

ellos/ellas/ustedesnecesitaban

nosotrosnecesitábamos

vosotrosnecesitabais

preterite

él/ella/ustednecesitó

yonecesité

túnecesitaste

ellos/ellas/ustedesnecesitaron

nosotrosnecesitamos

vosotrosnecesitasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustednecesite

yonecesite

túnecesites

ellos/ellas/ustedesnecesiten

nosotrosnecesitemos

vosotrosnecesitéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustednecesitara

yonecesitara

túnecesitaras

ellos/ellas/ustedesnecesitaran

nosotrosnecesitáramos

vosotrosnecesitarais

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: necesitan

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'necesitan' to mean 'You all (formal) need to study'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

necesitar(to need) - verb

necesidad(need, necessity) - noun

necesario(necessary) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'necesitan' and 'necesitáis'?

'Necesitan' is used for 'they' (ellos/ellas) and 'you all' (ustedes), which is common everywhere. 'Necesitáis' is the informal 'you all' (vosotros) form, used mainly in Spain.

Can I just say 'necesitan' without 'ellos' or 'ustedes'?

Yes, very often! If it's clear from the conversation who you're talking about, you can leave out 'ellos' or 'ustedes'. For example, if you're looking at a group of students, you can just say, 'Necesitan más libros' (They need more books).