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How to Say "we needed" in Spanish

English → Spanish

necesitamos

/ne-se-si-TA-mos//nesesiˈtamos/

VerbA1
Use 'necesitamos' when referring to a need that occurred at a specific, finished point in time in the past.
A simple illustration showing two small characters, a boy and a girl, standing next to a large, completely empty water pitcher, symbolizing the phrase 'we need'.

Examples

Ayer necesitamos ayuda con la mudanza.

Yesterday we needed help with the move.

Necesitamos más agua, por favor.

We need more water, please.

Necesitamos hablar sobre el plan de mañana.

We need to talk about tomorrow's plan.

Ayer necesitamos comprar leche y pan.

Yesterday we needed to buy milk and bread.

Two Tenses, One Word

Necesitamos is special because it can mean 'we need' (right now) or 'we needed' (in the past). The rest of the sentence, with words like 'ahora' (now) or 'ayer' (yesterday), will tell you which one it is.

The 'We' Ending: -amos

For most verbs that end in '-ar' (like necesitar, hablar, cantar), the ending '-amos' tells you that 'we' (nosotros/nosotras) are doing the action in the present.

Adding an extra 'para' or 'a'

Mistake: “Necesitamos a ir a la tienda.”

Correction: Necesitamos ir a la tienda. When you need *to do* something, just put the second verb in its basic '-ar', '-er', or '-ir' form right after `necesitamos`. No extra words needed in between!

necesitábamos

VerbA2
Use 'necesitábamos' when describing an ongoing state or background situation where a need existed over a period of time in the past.

Examples

Cuando éramos jóvenes, necesitábamos más paciencia.

When we were young, we needed more patience.

Completed vs. Ongoing Past Needs

The most common mistake is using 'necesitamos' (preterite) for a past need that was actually ongoing. Think about whether the need was a single event ('necesitamos') or a state that lasted for some time ('necesitábamos').

Related Translations

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