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必要がある (hitsuyou ga aru) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Need

Author Anna Baffa Volpe for article '必要がある (hitsuyou ga aru) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Need'

Anna Baffa Volpe

The expression 必(ひつ)要(よう)がある (hitsuyou ga aru) means to be necessary, need.

The expression as we can deduce from the translation is used to express the need or necessity to do something.

Its negative form is 必(ひつ)要(よう)がない and expresses its opposite: don't need to do, no necessity to.

In this post we learn more about the meaning of 必(ひつ)要(よう)がある, how it is formed and when 必(ひつ)要(よう)がある is used through real example sentences.


How 必(ひつ)要(よう)がある is formed

必(ひつ)要(よう)がある is formed:

  • by the noun 必(ひつ)要(よう) need, necessity
  • by the particle が representing the subject
  • by the existence verb ある that means be, exist

⇨ there is a need; it is necessary

The structure is quite simple and uses only the plain form of the verb in the present tense.

Verb in the Affirmative form+必(ひつ)要(よう)+が+ある

あなたの車(くるま)はよく洗(せん)浄(じょう)する必(ひつ)要(よう)があるね。

Your car needs a good wash!

銀(ぎん)行(こう)に電(でん)話(わ)をかける必(ひつ)要(よう)がある。

I need to call the bank.

あなたはすぐにそこに行(い)く必(ひつ)要(よう)がある。

You must go there immediately.

必(ひつ)要(よう)がある to express needs and necessities

This expression translates the verbs need, be necessary and depending on the sentence and context can also express the nuance with the verb have to.

若(わか)いときに多(おお)くのことを学(まな)ぶ必(ひつ)要(よう)がある。

You have to learn a lot when you are young.

なぜそんな本(ほん)を読(よ)む必(ひつ)要(よう)があるのですか。

Why do you need to read such a book?

必(ひつ)要(よう)があった for past needs

The same expression is also used in the past tense through the past of the verb ある: あった.

彼(かれ)と相(そう)談(だん)する必(ひつ)要(よう)があった。

It was necessary to consult him.

必(ひつ)要(よう)がない: No need to

The negative form uses ない, the negative auxiliary of ある and なかった for the past tense.

The particle が is often omitted in the negative or replaced by は.

必(ひつ)要(よう)がない: as we can see, the negative form is applied to the same expression and not to the verb that precedes it.

急(いそ)ぐ必(ひつ)要(よう)がない。

There is no need to hurry.

あなたはそれを知(し)る必(ひつ)要(よう)がない。

You don't need to know that.

あなたは明日(あした)早(はや)く起(お)きる必(ひつ)要(よう)がない。

You don't have to get up early tomorrow.

必(ひつ)要(よう)だ it's necessary

必(ひつ)要(よう) creates another form preceded by the particle が and followed by the copula だ in the plain form and です in the polite form.

Noun+が+必(ひつ)要(よう)+だ
Verb+ことが+必(ひつ)要(よう)+だ

もっと情(じょう)報(ほう)が必(ひつ)要(よう)だ。

I need more informations.

この料(りょう)理(り)には堅(かた)いトマトがいくつか必(ひつ)要(よう)だ。

For this dish you need hard tomatoes.

We can find the particle は instead of が.

本(ほん)当(とう)に減(げん)量(りょう)は必(ひつ)要(よう)?

Do you really need to lose weight?

This sentence is part of the title of an article dealing with health 健(けん)康(こう) and the final verb is omitted: [必(ひつ)要(よう)ですか].

How much money do we need to live?
Co-authors of the book: Yamazaki Hajime and Iwaki Mizuho

人(じん)生(せい)にお金(かね)はいくら必(ひつ)要(よう)か。

How much money do we need to live?

A funny advertisement from the net dealing with "money":

Money isn't everything, but everything requires money.
全(すべ)て is a noun followed by the copula だ or a particle, 全(すべ)ての is the adjectival form..

お金(かね)が全(すべ)てじゃねえが、全(すべ)てにお金(かね)が必(ひつ)要(よう)だ。

Money isn't everything, but everything requires money.

We find in this sentence an expression used a lot in colloquial and confidential terms: じゃねえ instead of じゃない the negative form of the copula だ.

Literally: money is needed for everything.

Examples of 必(ひつ)要(よう)がある

私(わたし)の家(いえ)は新(あたら)しく塗(ぬ)りなおす必(ひつ)要(よう)がある。

My house needs a new paint job.

このタイヤは空(くう)気(き)を入(い)れる必(ひつ)要(よう)がある。

These tyres need to be inflated.

この問(もん)題(だい)は全(ぜん)体(たい)として考(かんが)える必(ひつ)要(よう)がある。

The issue needs to be considered as a whole.