必要・必用|ひつようhitsuyou[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
必要必要 is the most common written form and the recommended choice for beginners when writing this word.
必用必用 is a less common kanji spelling of the same word; beginners should recognize it as a variant but generally choose 必要 when writing.
Definitions
- na-adjectivenecessary; needed; essential; indispensable必用 can imply has to be used rather than is just needed
- nounnecessity; need; requirement
Conjugation
| Plain form | 必要（ひつよう） |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | 必要です（ひつようです） |
| Negative (dewa nai) | 必要ではない（ひつようではない） |
| polite (dewa arimasen) | 必要ではありません（ひつようではありません） |
| Past (datta) | 必要だった（ひつようだった） |
| Past negative (dewa nakatta) | 必要ではなかった（ひつようではなかった） |
| Te form (de) | 必要で（ひつようで） |
| Adverbial (ni) | 必要に（ひつように） |
| Conditional (nara) | 必要なら（ひつようなら） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym不可欠ふかけつWrittenWritten/formal. Something you cannot do without — indispensable, as in 「生活に不可欠」; carries more force than 「必要」.
- Synonym必須ひっすWrittenWritten/formal. What must be present or done, as in 「必須科目」「必須条件」; typical of rules and requirements.
- Synonym必需ひつじゅWrittenWritten/formal. Needed no matter what, as in 「生活必需品」; can apply beyond physical items as well.
- Synonym要ようWrittenWritten/formal. Alone it means 'need', as in 「その要はない」, and can also mean a key point; as a prefix it marks what is required, as in 「要注意」「要予約」.
- Related肝心かんじんNeutralNeutral. The crucial, make-or-break part, as in 「肝心なところ」; focuses on the core point that matters most.
- Related重要じゅうようNeutralNeutral. Important, of great weight or value; 「必要」 stresses being indispensable, 「重要」 stresses significance.
- Related肝要かんようWrittenWritten/formal. Of vital importance, as in 「〜することが肝要だ」.
- Related主要しゅようNeutralNeutral. Main or principal, as in 「主要都市」; stresses being central or leading, not being needed.
- Related大切たいせつNeutralNeutral. Important or dear, as in 「大切な人」「大切な点」; covers both subjective and objective importance.
- Related緊要きんようWrittenWritten/formal. Urgent as well as important, as in 「緊要な課題」; adds a sense of pressing urgency.
- Related入り用いりようCasualColloquial. Needing something, or the money it takes, as in 「入り用なものを揃える」「何かと入り用だ」.
- Related入用にゅうようCasualColloquial. The same word as above, just written 「入用」; identical meaning — a need or the expense involved.
- Related枢要すうようWrittenWritten/formal. Of central, pivotal importance — the vital core of something, as in 「枢要な地位」.
- Related切要せつようWrittenWritten/formal. Extremely pressing or vital, but very rare; in everyday speech use 「大切」 or 「重要」.
- Antonym不要ふようNeutralNeutral. The direct opposite of 「必要」: unnecessary, superfluous; often seen on notices like 「予約不要」.
For 'necessary', 「必要」 is the default. Use 「不可欠」 for indispensable, 「必須」 for required by rules, 「必需」 for life necessities, 「肝心」 for the crucial part, 「重要」 for important, 「大切」 for precious, and 「不要」 for unneeded. The rest are mostly written-style or rare.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
- なくてはならないもの。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
