Spanish Verb Necesitar Conjugation

The Spanish verb necesitar means to need. Below you can find tables with the conjugation for necesitar in the indicative mood (present, past and future), the subjunctive mood (present and past), the imperative mood, and other verb forms.

Whenever you talk about needing something or someone, this is the verb you should use. For example Necesito dinero para pagar la cuenta (I need money to pay the bill) or El niño necesita a su madre (The boy needs his mother). It can also be used to talk about needing to do something, such as Necesitamos hacer la tarea (We need to do our homework). However, a more common expression used for this purpose is tener que (to have to) as in Tenemos que trabajar (We have to work).

Necesitar is a regular verb with the ending -ar just like ayudar or llamar. If you know the rules for conjugating regular -ar verbs, then you can easily conjugate necesitar.

Necesitar Present Indicative

Necesitar Preterite Indicative

In Spanish there are two past tenses, the preterite and the imperfect. The preterite is used to describe punctual events that have a defined ending in the past, while the imperfect is used to describe ongoing, habitual actions in the past. Since the verb necesitar is usually an ongoing state of being, it is most often conjugated in the imperfect.

Necesitar Imperfect Indicative

When using the verb necesitar in the past, it will most likely be conjugated in the imperfect tense. The imperfect can usually be translated as "was needing" or "used to need," but in this case it can also be translated as "needed," as in Carlos necesitaba dinero (Carlos needed money).

Necesitar Future Indicative

Necesitar Periphrastic Future Indicative

Necesitar Conditional Indicative

Necesitar Present Progressive/Gerund Form

The present progressive and other progressive verb forms are formed with an auxiliary verb followed by the present participle, or gerund. In this case, the present participle is formed by dropping the -ar and adding the ending -ando.

Present Progressive of Necesitar: está necesitando 

She is needing -> Ella está necesitando ayuda.

Necesitar Past Participle

To form the past participle of regular -ar verbs, drop the -ar and add the ending -ado. The present perfect and other compound tenses are formed with the auxiliary verb haber, followed by the past participle.

Present Perfect of Necesitar: ha necesitado 

She has needed -> Ella ha necesitado ayuda.

Necesitar Present Subjunctive

Necesitar Imperfect Subjunctive

Note that there are two options for conjugating the imperfect subjunctive. Both options are equally valid, and their use depends on regional and stylistic differences.

Option 1

Option 2

Necesitar Imperative 

The imperative forms are for giving direct commands. Since it is not likely that you would command someone to need something, the imperative forms of necesitar are not commonly used. On other hand, you might want to tell someone that they need something or that they need to do something, but in that case you would use a simple statement in the indicative mood such as Necesitas estudiar (You need to study) or Necesitamos trabajar más (We need to work more). 

Since the imperative of necesitar is not commonly used, the verb forms and examples below sound awkward in both Spanish and English, but, technically, they are grammatically correct. 

Positive Commands

Negative Commands