Japanese Grammar In Its Natural Habitat
Wild Nihongo!
いる (To Need)

いる (To Need)

いる (To Need) Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Verb (Group 1)

Essential Meaning: Someone or Something needs or requires X

Construction: EXPERIENCER (に) は NEEDED OBJECT がいる

Notes:

  • いる (To need) (要いる in kanji) represents the idea that someone or something needs some object X. 要いる conjugates as a Group 1 Verb (i.e. 要いらない, 要いって, 要いります, et cetera).
  • 要いる (To need) takes the ~は~が structure, where the experiencer (i.e. the one who needs) is marked by は and the needed object is marked by が. The experiencer can optionally be marked by に in addition to は.
    • E.g. 私わたしは今いまお金かねが要いる。[I need money now.]
    • E.g. この子こにはいい家庭教師かていきょうしが要いる。[This child needs a good tutor.]
    • E.g. このプロジェクトには人ひとと金かねが要いる。[This project requires people and money.]
  • In subordinate clauses, the subject cannot be marked by は unless the clause is used in a contrastive sense. Thus, when 要いる (To need) is used in a subordinate clause, the experiencer is generally marked by either が or by に.
    • E.g. この車くるまがガソリンがたくさん要いることを知しっていましたか。[Did you know that this car requires a lot of gas?]
    • E.g. この車くるまにガソリンがたくさん要いることを知しっていましたか。[Did you know that this car requires a lot of gas?]

Example Sentences:

君きみたちは英和辞典えいわじてんが要いる。[You guys need an English-Japanese dictionary.]

私わたしは今いまお金かねが要いる。[I need money now.]

何なにか道具どうぐが要いりますか。[Do you need any tools?]

この車くるまはガソリンがたくさん要いる。[This car requires gasoline.]

WILD Examples:

Listen to this line at 2:17: 翼つばさは要いらない、夢ゆめがあればいい [You don’t need wings, it’s OK if you have a dream]
Listen to this line from 0:52: あなたがここにいて抱だきしめることができるなら、私わたしもう他ほかになにも要いらない [If it were the case that you’re able to be here and hold me tight, I wouldn’t need need anything else]

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