if need be

English

Alternative forms

• if needs be

Etymology

Need is a noun, be a subjunctive. Perhaps an alteration of Old English phrases like ġif þearf bēo, literally “if need be.” That phrase would have been completely unidiomatic, equivalent to “if a need exists” or “if there is a need.” This is because (1) Old English had no indefinite article, (2) the word for "to be" was also the default word for "to exist" and translates the modern phrase "there is," and (3) the subjunctive mood was much more common and often translates the Modern English indicative.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Adverb

if need be

1. (idiomatic) If necessary; if there is a need.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:if need be.

Translations

if necessary

• Czech: v případě potřeby
• Danish: om nødvendigt
• Dutch: desnoods (nl), indien noodzakelijk, desgevallend (nl)
• Estonian: kui vaja
• Finnish: jos on tarve, jos on pakko
• French: si besoin est (fr), si nécessaire (fr), au besoin (fr), en cas de besoin, s’il faut
• German: wenn es sein muss, wenn nötig, notfalls (de), falls nötig
• Hungarian: ha szükséges
• Italian: se ci fosse bisogno
• Old English: ġif þearf biþ
• Polish: w razie potrzeby, w razie konieczności, jeżeli to konieczne, ewentualnie (pl), jeśli trzeba
• Portuguese: caso (seja) necessário, se (for) necessário
• Russian: е́сли пона́добится (jésli ponádobitsja), в слу́чае необходи́мости (v slúčaje neobxodímosti)
• Spanish: si es menester (formal)
• Swedish: om så krävs, om så behövs, om så erfordras, vid behov
• Turkish: gerektiğinde

See also

• needs must