A young child standing next to an empty bowl, looking hungry. A friendly adult is reaching out, offering a basket overflowing with fresh fruit to the child.

necesitas

/neh-seh-SEE-tahs/

VerbA1regular ar

you need?Informal 'you' (tú), used with friends, family, and peers.

Also:you require?A slightly more formal-sounding equivalent.

Quick Reference

infinitivenecesitar

gerundnecesitando

past Participlenecesitado

📝 In Action

¿Necesitas ayuda?

Do you need help?

Si necesitas algo, solo avísame.

If you need anything, just let me know.

Necesitas terminar tu tarea antes de salir.

You need to finish your homework before going out.

Para hacer el pastel, necesitas huevos, harina y azúcar.

To make the cake, you need eggs, flour, and sugar.

Word Connections

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

sobrar (to have left over)
bastar (to be enough)

Common Collocations

necesitas que... – you need that...
necesitas un favor – you need a favor

💡 Grammar Points

Who is 'necesitas' for?

This form is specifically for talking to one person you know well, like a friend or family member (the 'tú' form). For someone you don't know, or to show respect, you would use 'necesita'.

Needing to DO something

When you need to do an action, just add the second verb right after it in its original form (ending in -ar, -er, or -ir). For example: 'Necesitas comer' (You need to eat).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Don't add 'a' or 'de'

Mistake: "Necesitas a estudiar. / Necesitas de estudiar."

Correction: Necesitas estudiar. When one verb follows another like this ('need to study'), you usually don't need a small word in between them in Spanish.

⭐ Usage Tips

Asking vs. Telling

'Necesitas' is a statement: 'You need...'. To ask what someone needs, simply put question marks around it: '¿Necesitas algo?' (Do you need something?).

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

yonecesito

túnecesitas

él/ella/ustednecesita

nosotrosnecesitamos

vosotrosnecesitáis

ellos/ellas/ustedesnecesitan

preterite

yonecesité

túnecesitaste

él/ella/ustednecesitó

nosotrosnecesitamos

vosotrosnecesitasteis

ellos/ellas/ustedesnecesitaron

imperfect

yonecesitaba

túnecesitabas

él/ella/ustednecesitaba

nosotrosnecesitábamos

vosotrosnecesitabais

ellos/ellas/ustedesnecesitaban

subjunctive

present

yonecesite

túnecesites

él/ella/ustednecesite

nosotrosnecesitemos

vosotrosnecesitéis

ellos/ellas/ustedesnecesiten

imperfect

yonecesitara

túnecesitaras

él/ella/ustednecesitara

nosotrosnecesitáramos

vosotrosnecesitarais

ellos/ellas/ustedesnecesitaran

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: necesitas

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly says 'You need to drink water' when talking to a friend?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

necesitar(to need) - verb

necesidad(need, necessity) - noun

necesario(necessary) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'necesitas' and 'necesita'?

'Necesitas' is used when talking to one person you're familiar with (the 'tú' form), like a friend or family member. 'Necesita' is used for talking to someone more formally (the 'usted' form), or when talking about what 'he' or 'she' needs ('él' or 'ella').

Can I use 'tener que' instead of 'necesitar'?

Often, yes! They are very similar. 'Necesitas estudiar' (You need to study) is very close to 'Tienes que estudiar' (You have to study). 'Tener que' can feel a bit stronger, more like an obligation, while 'necesitar' is more about a need.