Different forms of need?

dwcarless

先輩

22 Jul 2009

67

1

• 8 Mar 2010

• #1

Hi,

My dictionary lists the following words as all meaning: necessity; need; requirement

必用、ひつよう

必要、ひつよう

要り用、いりよう

入り用、いりよう

Do these all really mean the same thing? If so, is one word used more than the others?

Thanks

 

Elizabeth

先輩

22 Apr 2003

9,839

135

• 8 Mar 2010

• #2

dwcarless said:

Hi,
My dictionary lists the following words as all meaning: necessity; need; requirement
必用、ひつよう
必要、ひつよう
要り用、いりよう
入り用、いりよう
Do these all really mean the same thing? If so, is one word used more than the others?
Thanks

Click to expand...

The first two are variant spellings of the same word. Use 必要.

The second two are also more than one character associated with the same reading. 入り用is most common, but in fact fairly (very?) infrequently occurring.

Same word, different Kanji... ? Why?

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 9 Mar 2010

• #3

In addition, 入り用/要り用 is often used as the customer's need in the business.

何かご入り用の際は、お申し付け下さい。
Could you tell us if you need something?

Plus, it doesn't take a person as the object.

Our team needs him.
×我々のチームには彼が入り用だ。
○我々のチームには彼が必要だ。

 

dwcarless

先輩

22 Jul 2009

67

1

• 9 Mar 2010

• Thread starter
• #4

Thank you both. That is a big help!

 

Elizabeth

先輩

22 Apr 2003

9,839

135

• 9 Mar 2010

• #5

Make sure you are using an authoritative dictionary. Maybe it is superior in other ways, but that list is random and unrepresentative in the extreme.