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FRENCH VERB

avoir besoin de

to need

  • #108 most used
  • Irregular -ir verb
  • Past participle: eu besoin de
  • Present participle: ayant besoin de

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I need
  2. tu you need
  3. il, elle, on he/she needs
  4. nous we need
  5. vous you need
  6. ils, elles they need

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I needed
  2. tu you needed
  3. il, elle, on he/she needed
  4. nous we needed
  5. vous you needed
  6. ils, elles they needed

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to need
  2. tu you used to need
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to need
  4. nous we used to need
  5. vous you used to need
  6. ils, elles they used to need

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will need
  2. tu you will need
  3. il, elle, on he/she will need
  4. nous we will need
  5. vous you will need
  6. ils, elles they will need

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would need
  2. tu you would need
  3. il, elle, on he/she would need
  4. nous we would need
  5. vous you would need
  6. ils, elles they would need

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I need
  2. tu (that) you need
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she need
  4. nous (that) we need
  5. vous (that) you need
  6. ils, elles (that) they need

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu need!
  2. nous need! (let’s)
  3. vous need! (plural, or formal)

How to use avoir besoin de

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    J'ai besoin d'un café avant de partir.

    I need a coffee before leaving.

  2. Past

    Il a eu besoin d'aide pour porter les cartons.

    He needed help carrying the boxes.

  3. Imperfect

    On avait besoin de vacances, vraiment.

    We needed a holiday, really.

  4. Future

    Vous aurez besoin d'un parapluie cet après-midi.

    You'll need an umbrella this afternoon.

  5. Conditional

    J'aurais besoin d'une chambre pour deux nuits.

    I'd need a room for two nights.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Je doute qu'elle ait besoin de nous ce soir.

    I doubt she needs us tonight.

  7. Imperative

    Surtout, n'ayez besoin de rien pendant mon absence !

    Above all, don't need anything while I'm away!

Good to know

  • What you need comes after de : j'ai besoin d'un café, j'ai besoin de dormir.

Where you hear avoir besoin de

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Beginner Level 1

  • J'ai besoin d'un ticket de métro. I need a metro ticket.
  • Hier, j'ai eu besoin d'un médecin. Yesterday I needed a doctor.
  • Tu vas avoir besoin de ton passeport. You're going to need your passport.
9
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Beginner Level 1 · j'ai besoin de

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -ir verb.