# I need to



## q_006

This may be contextual, but here it goes. Basically this a question about I [verb] [infinitive] [predicate]. For example, when someone says, "I need to see that movie" or "I need to read that book" or "I have to swim tomorrow". How is that constructed in Japanese? 

I know sentences such as, 

"I'm going to watch a movie" (Watashi wa eiga wo mi ni ikimasu or Watashi wa eiga wo miru tsumori desu),
"I want to eat rice" (Watashi wa gohan ga tabetai desu), and
"I'm coming over to study with you" (Watashi wa kimi to benkyou shi ni kimasu).
But I'm assuming that the examples I first gave are have completely different structure. Right?


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## Kaiketsu Zorori

I'm answering just to practice and check if I'm correct, so please wait for more competent people 

I need to see that movie = あの映画を見るべきです。[ano eiga o miru beki desu]
I need to read that book = あの本を読むべきです。[ano hon wo yomu beki desu]
I have to swim tomorrow = 明日、泳ぎなければなりません。[ashita oyoginakereba narimasen]


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## wathavy

"I need to see that movie" = (Wathashi wa) Ano eiga wo miru hitsuyou ga aru.
"I need to read that book" = (Watashi wa ) Ano hon wo yomu hituyou  ga aru.
"I have to swim tomorrow"= (Watashi wa )  Asu oyoganakute wa naranai.
These are some examples of translation.
But I am not sure what you're wondering at.
Am I missing something?


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## xiaolijie

@ q_006:
From the 6 examples you've got so far, you can see that there's no such a thing as one structural equivalent to "I [verb] [infinitive] [predicate]" in Japanese, but many; and what particular structure is needed depends on the nature of the 1st verb in the phrase.


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## Flaminius

Kaiketsu Zorori said:


> I have to swim tomorrow = 明日、泳ぎなければなりません。[ashita oyoginakereba narimasen]


The correct form is 泳がなければなりません derived from 泳がない.


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## Kaiketsu Zorori

Thank you  This is what I had most doubts about, but still couldn't get it right.


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## everfang

First of all, I think that all of our answers so far have been as if it is a necessity to do something. I kind of get the feeling not many people really say, "I must watch that movie." like it was an assignment or something. When I read the sentence, "I need to watch that movie." it sounds like the speaker has heard something good about the movie and REALLY wants to watch that movie for pleasure. For example, "Like, omaigawd! Justin Beiber is in that movie? I totally NEED to see it!!" Anyway, which type of "need" are you talking about?

As Xiaolijie mentioned, there are many ways to express this. Here's a few more:

In informal speech, you can change the verb to simple negative, take away the い (i) and add きゃ (kya). To me, it makes it sound like "I've gotta _____" 「きゃ」is just the (very) plain form of 「〜なければなりません」which was mentioned in a previous reply and is pretty formal, whereas 「きゃ」is pretty informal. A middle ground between those two would be 「〜なければならない」I have given an example how to "conjugate" the verb below.

読む　−＞　読まない　−＞　読まなければなりません　−＞　読まなければならない　−＞　読まなきゃ

I need to see that movie = あの映画を見なきゃ。[ano eiga o minakya]
I need to read that book = あの本を読まなきゃ。[ano hon wo yomanakya]
I have to swim tomorrow = 明日、泳がなきゃ。[ashita (or asu) oyoganakya]

Note: If asked a question, or if you want to "distance" yourself when you say "I must ______" you can add an 「ん」at the end of a verb with 「なければならない（ん）」It could be open to interpretation, but to me, this sounds a little more formal than without the 「ん」


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## uchi.m

everfang said:


> "I need to watch that movie." it sounds like the speaker has heard something good about the movie and REALLY wants to watch that movie for pleasure. For example, "Like, omaigawd! Justin Beiber is in that movie? I totally NEED to see it!!" Anyway, which type of "need" are you talking about?



In that case, I can give you some further options:

I need to see that movie = あの映画見たい
I need to read that book = あの本読みたい
I have to swim tomorrow = 明日、泳ぎたい[/COLOR]


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## Flaminius

Desire expressed by _-tai_ is weaker than that by 読まなきゃ, 読まなくちゃ, 読まないと and so on.  The latter mean that the desire is so compelling that the speaker is very likely to do the action.  In contrast, perhaps the law of opposition is at work here, the former often means that the speaker does want to do something but is hindered, indecisive or daydreaming.


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## uchi.m

Flaminius said:


> Desire expressed by _-tai_ is weaker than that by 読まなきゃ, 読まなくちゃ, 読まないと and so on.  The latter mean that the desire is so compelling that the speaker is very likely to do the action.  In contrast, perhaps the law of opposition is at work here, the former often means that the speaker does want to do something but is hindered, indecisive or daydreaming.


Hello Flaminius-san,

I go for your point, and would also like to add that the Japanese language can express gradations of desire that cannot be rendered word-by-word in English, as in this case. The word _need _can express either a compelling desire or just a fondness for something.

Look how many words for desire there are in Japanese:

たい
たがる
欲しい
なければならない
てはいけない
要る


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