צריך + Infinitive

Need to Do Something

Level 2

צריך, צריכה, צריכים and צריכות can say that a person needs or has to do something. Follow them with an infinitive.

How It Works

A Named Person

דן צריך לעבוד and דנה צריכה לעבוד use the same infinitive and different agreeing need forms. צריכים and צריכות serve the appropriate plural subjects.

A General Requirement

צריך לשתות מים can give a general recommendation or requirement. It has no named subject, so its masculine singular form does not claim that the advice is only for men. Context determines whether need, must or should best expresses the force.

Negate Carefully

לא צריך ללכת usually says there is no need to go. It is not the same as אסור ללכת, going is forbidden. Past necessity uses היה צריך, הייתה צריכה and related forms.

Examples (4)

  1. דן צריך לעבוד.

    Dan needs to work.

    צריך matches the male subject.

  2. דנה צריכה ללכת.

    Dana needs to go.

    The feminine form is צריכה.

  3. אנחנו צריכים ללמוד.

    We need to study.

    The need form is plural.

  4. לא צריך לבוא היום.

    There is no need to come today.

    Negation removes the requirement; it does not forbid coming.

Common Mistakes

  • Using masculine singular need for a named female subject.

    דנה צריך ללכת.
    דנה צריכה ללכת.

    The personal construction agrees with דנה.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

צריך + InfinitiveLevel 2Need to Do Something

Learn This First

An agreeing need predicate introduces an infinitive activity.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.