Need in Different Languages
Discover 'Need' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'need' is a small but powerful part of our everyday vocabulary. It signifies a requirement or necessity, driving us to seek out the essentials for survival and happiness. From a basic need for food and water to more complex emotional and intellectual requirements, 'need' is a concept that transcends cultures and languages.
Throughout history, the concept of 'need' has been explored in philosophy, literature, and science. It's a universal human experience that has shaped societies and driven innovation. Understanding the nuances of this word in different languages can provide insight into the unique perspectives and values of different cultures.
For example, in Spanish, 'need' is 'necesitar', while in French it's 'avoir besoin'. In Mandarin Chinese, it's '需要 (xūyào)', and in Japanese, it's '必要 (hitsuyō)'. Each of these translations offers a slightly different perspective on the concept of 'need', reflecting the language and culture from which they come.
In the following list, you'll find the translations of 'need' in a variety of languages, from common tongues to lesser-known dialects. Whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious, this list is sure to inspire and educate.
Need
Need in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | behoefte | ||
| The Afrikaans word "behoefte" comes from the Dutch word "behoefte" which has the same meaning but also refers to "want" in the sense of desire or craving. | |||
| Amharic | ፍላጎት | ||
| The Amharic word "ፍላጎት" (need) is derived from the Proto-Ethiosemitic word *pilag-, meaning "to desire, crave". | |||
| Hausa | bukata | ||
| The word 'bukata' is also related to the Hausa word 'buka', which means 'to open' or 'to reveal'. | |||
| Igbo | mkpa | ||
| The word "mkpa" in Igbo can also refer to an act of borrowing or lending. | |||
| Malagasy | nila | ||
| The Malagasy word "NILA" derives from the Sanskrit word "NILA" meaning "blue" or "darkish". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zosowa | ||
| The Nyanja word "zosowa" can also refer to a state of destitution or a lack of basic necessities. | |||
| Shona | kudiwa | ||
| The word "kudiwa" in Shona can also mean "to want" or "to desire". | |||
| Somali | u baahan | ||
| The word "u baahan" in Somali is also used to express a lack or scarcity of something. | |||
| Sesotho | tlhoko | ||
| The word "tlhoko" in Sesotho can also refer to a "lack" or a "deficiency." | |||
| Swahili | hitaji | ||
| Hitaji can also mean 'purpose' or 'requirement'. | |||
| Xhosa | imfuno | ||
| The Xhosa word 'imfuno' is derived from the Proto-Nguni *im-pfuno, meaning 'the thing that lacks'. Its cognate is found in most Bantu languages. | |||
| Yoruba | nilo | ||
| The word 'nílò' can also mean 'a place of residence' in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | isidingo | ||
| The Zulu word "isidingo" can also refer to a "desire" or a "want". | |||
| Bambara | mago | ||
| Ewe | hiã | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bikenewe | ||
| Lingala | mposa | ||
| Luganda | okwetaaga | ||
| Sepedi | nyaka | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hia | ||
Need in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | بحاجة إلى | ||
| The word "بحاجة إلى" can also mean "to be in need of" or "to require something". | |||
| Hebrew | צוֹרֶך | ||
| The Hebrew word "צוֹרֶך" also means "requirement" and "purpose". | |||
| Pashto | اړتیا | ||
| The Pashto word "اړتیا" is rooted in the Proto-Indo-European language and shares its etymology with Sanskrit, the Indo-Iranian languages, as well as Greek, Latin, and Germanic terms. | |||
| Arabic | بحاجة إلى | ||
| The word "بحاجة إلى" can also mean "to be in need of" or "to require something". | |||
Need in Western European Languages
| Albanian | nevoja | ||
| The Albanian word "nevoja" (need) is derived from the Latin "negotium," meaning "business, occupation" or "that which must be done."} | |||
| Basque | beharra | ||
| Beharra can also mean 'obligation' or 'necessity', indicating a strong sense of compulsion. | |||
| Catalan | necessitat | ||
| The word "necessitat" derives from the Latin word "necessitas," which means "compulsion" or "constraint." | |||
| Croatian | potreba | ||
| The Croatian word "potreba" originates from the Proto-Slavic "potreba" meaning "difficulty" or "trouble." | |||
| Danish | brug for | ||
| The word 'brug for' can also mean 'use for' or 'benefit from'. | |||
| Dutch | nodig hebben | ||
| The verb "nodig hebben" originally meant "to compel" or "to bring into necessity". | |||
| English | need | ||
| The word "need" is derived from the Old English word "nedan," meaning "to compel" or "to force." | |||
| French | avoir besoin | ||
| Avoir besoin, meaning 'to need', comes from the Latin habere, meaning 'to have', and the Latin besogne, meaning 'work' or 'task'. | |||
| Frisian | need | ||
| The word "need" in Frisian can also refer to a state of poverty or the necessities of life | |||
| Galician | necesidade | ||
| The Galician word "necesidade" can also refer to a "lack" or an "absence" of something. | |||
| German | brauchen | ||
| The German word "brauchen" shares a root with the English word "brook", meaning to tolerate or endure. | |||
| Icelandic | þörf | ||
| The Old Norse word for "need," "þörf," is cognated to the English words "thorp," which originally referred to outlying farmsteads, and "thorpe," which refers to a village. | |||
| Irish | riachtanas | ||
| The Irish word "riachtanas" also means "necessity" and "obligation". | |||
| Italian | bisogno | ||
| In 18th century Neapolitan it also meant to fart ('far bisogno') because of the sound caused by passing gas that is similar to the sound the hungry gut makes. | |||
| Luxembourgish | brauchen | ||
| The word "brauchen" in Luxembourgish can also mean "to use" or "to have need of" | |||
| Maltese | bżonn | ||
| The word "bżonn" may also refer to a type of fabric or thread. | |||
| Norwegian | trenge | ||
| The Norwegian word "trenge" originally meant "to press" or "to crowd". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | necessidade | ||
| In Portuguese, "necessidade" can also refer to a toilet or bathroom, originating from the Latin "necessitas", meaning "compulsion" or "urgency". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | feum | ||
| The Gaelic word feum has cognates in other Celtic languages, such as beum in Irish. | |||
| Spanish | necesitar | ||
| "Necesitar" shares its etymology with the Ancient Greek word "anagke", which means "constraint" or "obligation". | |||
| Swedish | behöver | ||
| Swedish 'behöver' derives from a word indicating 'to keep something alive'. | |||
| Welsh | angen | ||
| The Welsh word 'angen' can also be used in the imperative sense, with the meaning of 'require'. | |||
Need in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | трэба | ||
| The word | |||
| Bosnian | treba | ||
| Bosnian word "treba" also has a meaning "a type of a traditional folk song" that originated in North-Eastern Bosnia. | |||
| Bulgarian | трябва | ||
| "Трябва" originates from the Old Bulgarian word "трѣба", which means "demand" or "necessity". | |||
| Czech | potřeba | ||
| The word “potřeba” originally meant 'misfortune, suffering, need' and was transformed into a positive meaning only later on. | |||
| Estonian | vajadus | ||
| The word "vajadus" is derived from the Proto-Uralic root *waδa-, which also means "lack" or "shortage". | |||
| Finnish | tarve | ||
| The word "tarve" also means "a demand" or "a requirement". | |||
| Hungarian | szükség | ||
| The word "szükség" derives from the Old Hungarian word "szüks", meaning "narrow, strait". | |||
| Latvian | vajadzība | ||
| "Nepieciešamība" (necessity) is derived from the word "piedzīt" (to drive). | |||
| Lithuanian | reikia | ||
| The Proto-Indo-European noun *ḱreh₃s- meant "growth" or "heap", and is also the origin of the English words "harvest" and "crease". | |||
| Macedonian | потреба | ||
| The word "потреба" in Macedonian also means "demand". | |||
| Polish | potrzeba | ||
| The noun potrzeba in Polish shares its roots with the adjective potrzebny (necessary). | |||
| Romanian | nevoie | ||
| The Romanian word "nevoie" is derived from the Latin "necessitas", meaning "lack" or "want". | |||
| Russian | нужно | ||
| The word "нужно" can also mean "it is necessary" or "it is required". | |||
| Serbian | потреба | ||
| In Serbian, "potreba" also refers to a necessary quantity or amount required. | |||
| Slovak | potreba | ||
| The word "potreba" in Slovak also means "request" or "demand". | |||
| Slovenian | potrebujejo | ||
| The word "potrebujejo" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *potreba*, meaning "necessity" or "want". | |||
| Ukrainian | потрібно | ||
| In Old Ukrainian, the word "потрібно" could mean "necessary" or "to need". | |||
Need in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | প্রয়োজন | ||
| Gujarati | જરૂર છે | ||
| Hindi | जरुरत | ||
| The word जरुरत, meaning 'need', stems from the Persian word 'zarurat' signifying 'requirement'. In Hindi, it also connotes 'urgency' or 'necessity'. | |||
| Kannada | ಅಗತ್ಯ | ||
| The ancient Kannada form 'ಅಗತ್ಯ' originates from the Sanskrit word 'आगत' , which means to make accessible. | |||
| Malayalam | ആവശ്യം | ||
| Marathi | गरज | ||
| In addition to meaning "need", the Marathi word "गरज" also means "noise" or "thunder". | |||
| Nepali | आवश्यक छ | ||
| The Nepali word 'आवश्यक छ' ('need') originates from the Sanskrit word 'अपेक्षित' (apekṣit) meaning 'required' or 'sought after'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਲੋੜ ਹੈ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | අවශ්යතාවය | ||
| The root word, අවශ්ය (awaśya), comes from Sanskrit and means 'indispensable' or 'essential.' | |||
| Tamil | தேவை | ||
| The Tamil word "தேவை" is also used figuratively to refer to desire, wish, or demand for something, extending its semantic domain beyond physical or material requirements. | |||
| Telugu | అవసరం | ||
| The word "అవసరం" in Telugu also refers to an opportunity or a requirement, rather than strictly a necessity. | |||
| Urdu | ضرورت | ||
| The word "ضرورت" in Urdu is a derivative of the Arabic word "ضَرورة" and can also mean "urgency" or "compulsion." | |||
Need in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 需要 | ||
| The Chinese character "需" (need) can also mean "to request" or "to ask for". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 需要 | ||
| The word "需要" also means "demand" or "requirement" in Chinese, implying a sense of urgency or necessity. | |||
| Japanese | 必要 | ||
| 必要 originally meant "to be in a strait" hence "in need," from Chinese 必 "strait" and 要 "in need." | |||
| Korean | 필요한 것 | ||
| "필요한" in Korean literally means "to be lacking". | |||
| Mongolian | хэрэгцээ | ||
| The word "хэрэгцээ" (need) is also used to refer to the material requirements of an organization or person. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လိုအပ်တယ် | ||
Need in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | perlu | ||
| The word "perlu" in Indonesian is derived from the Sanskrit word "pre" meaning "to desire" or "to wish". | |||
| Javanese | butuh | ||
| Butuh in Javanese can also refer to a type of freshwater crab, similar to a crayfish. | |||
| Khmer | ត្រូវការ | ||
| The Khmer word "ត្រូវការ" (trŭuk-kaor) can also mean "to be necessary", "to be due", or "to be appropriate" | |||
| Lao | ຕ້ອງການ | ||
| Malay | memerlukan | ||
| The word 'memerlukan' in Malay is derived from the root 'merlukan', which means 'to seek' or 'to require'. | |||
| Thai | ความต้องการ | ||
| The Thai word "ความต้องการ" (need) shares a root with the word "การทวงถาม" (demand), suggesting that both concepts are intertwined in Thai culture. | |||
| Vietnamese | nhu cầu | ||
| The Sino-Vietnamese compound "nhu cầu" is calqued from Chinese "xuqiú" (需求), itself composed of "xu" (須, "necessary") and "qiú" (求, "to request, need"). | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kailangan | ||
Need in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ehtiyac | ||
| The word "ehtiyac" comes from the Persian word "eḥtiyāj" which also means "need" in English. | |||
| Kazakh | қажеттілік | ||
| Kyrgyz | керек | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "керек" also means "requisite" or "requirement" in English. | |||
| Tajik | лозим аст | ||
| The word "лозим аст" is derived from the Persian word "لازم است" (lāzim ast), which means "it is necessary" or "it is important". | |||
| Turkmen | zerur | ||
| Uzbek | kerak | ||
| "Kerak" can also refer to bread in some regions of Uzbekistan | |||
| Uyghur | need | ||
Need in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | pono | ||
| “Pono” can also mean “goodness, rightness, morality, or excellence.” | |||
| Maori | hiahia | ||
| In Maori, 'hiahia' can also refer to a craving or longing, beyond just a necessity. | |||
| Samoan | manaʻoga | ||
| The Samoan word `manaʻoga` can also mean 'desire' or 'wish'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kailangan | ||
| The Tagalog word "kailangan" is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root word *kayu, meaning "tree". This reflects the importance of trees and lumber in the cultures of many Southeast Asian societies. | |||
Need in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | munasiri | ||
| Guarani | kotevẽ | ||
Need in International Languages
| Esperanto | bezono | ||
| 'Bezono' derives from the Greek 'chresis,' meaning 'use,' 'need,' or 'requirement.' | |||
| Latin | necessitudo | ||
| In Roman law, "necessitudo" denoted kinship, or the legal obligation owed to a relative. | |||
Need in Others Languages
| Greek | χρειάζομαι | ||
| "Χρειάζομαι" comes from the same root as the word "χρεία", which means "use", "necessity", or "want". | |||
| Hmong | xav tau | ||
| The Hmong word "xav tau" can also mean "to want". | |||
| Kurdish | lazimî | ||
| The word 'lazimî' in Kurdish shares its etymology with the Arabic word 'lazim' meaning 'necessary' or 'essential'. | |||
| Turkish | ihtiyaç | ||
| The word "ihtiyaç" is derived from the Arabic word "iḥtiyāj" meaning "lacking" or "requiring". | |||
| Xhosa | imfuno | ||
| The Xhosa word 'imfuno' is derived from the Proto-Nguni *im-pfuno, meaning 'the thing that lacks'. Its cognate is found in most Bantu languages. | |||
| Yiddish | נויט | ||
| The Yiddish word "נויט" (need) is derived from the German word "Not" and also means "distress" or "emergency". | |||
| Zulu | isidingo | ||
| The Zulu word "isidingo" can also refer to a "desire" or a "want". | |||
| Assamese | প্ৰয়োজন | ||
| Aymara | munasiri | ||
| Bhojpuri | जरूरत | ||
| Dhivehi | ބޭނުން | ||
| Dogri | लोड़ | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kailangan | ||
| Guarani | kotevẽ | ||
| Ilocano | kasapulan | ||
| Krio | nid | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | پێویست | ||
| Maithili | जरूरत | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯄꯥꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | mamawh | ||
| Oromo | fedhii | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଆବଶ୍ୟକତା | ||
| Quechua | mañakuy | ||
| Sanskrit | आवश्यकता | ||
| Tatar | кирәк | ||
| Tigrinya | ድሌት | ||
| Tsonga | xilaveko | ||