The preterite of necesitar is used to express a specific instance of needing something in the past. For example, you might say “I needed your help yesterday,” focusing on the need at a particular moment rather than an ongoing situation.
This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. Its conjugations are formed by adding the regular preterite endings to the stem ‘necesit-‘.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Necesitar (to need) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | necesité |
| Tú | necesitaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | necesitó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | necesitamos |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | necesitaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Necesitar (to need) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Necesitar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The preterite of necesitar expresses a completed need in the past. Basic Need: Used to express a specific instance of needing something in the past, for example, Necesité tu ayuda ayer (I needed your help yesterday). Requirement: Indicates a one-time requirement or necessity that occurred, for example, necesitó más tiempo para terminar (he/she needed more time to finish). Urgency: Can express an urgent need that arose at a specific moment, for example, necesitaron salir inmediatamente (they needed to leave immediately).
Examples
Examples of Necesitar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Necesité ayuda con la mudanza. (I needed help with the move.)
¿Necesitaste más tiempo para terminar? (Did you need more time to finish?)
El proyecto necesitó más recursos. (The project needed more resources.)
Necesitamos un taxi urgentemente. (We needed a taxi urgently.)
Los estudiantes necesitaron más práctica. (The students needed more practice.)
Necesité varios días para recuperarme. (I needed several days to recover.)
¿Por qué necesitaste tanto dinero? (Why did you need so much money?)
La empresa necesitó contratar más personal. (The company needed to hire more staff.)
Necesitamos cancelar la reunión. (We needed to cancel the meeting.)
Los atletas necesitaron más entrenamiento. (The athletes needed more training.)
Necesité un préstamo del banco. (I needed a loan from the bank.)
El coche necesitó reparaciones costosas. (The car needed expensive repairs.)
Necesitamos encontrar una solución rápida. (We needed to find a quick solution.)
Los científicos necesitaron más datos. (The scientists needed more data.)
Mi hermano necesitó un nuevo trabajo. (My brother needed a new job.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Necesitar (to need) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo necesité | I needed |
| Tú necesitaste | You needed |
| Él / Ella / Usted necesitó | He / She / You needed |
| Nosotros / Nosotras necesitamos | We needed |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes necesitaron | They / You all needed |
This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.