if need be

English

Alternative forms

• if needs be

Etymology

Need is a noun, be a subjunctive.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

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
• Estonian: kui vaja
• Finnish: jos on tarve, jos on pakko
• French: si besoin est (fr), si nécessaire (fr)
• 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
• Portuguese: caso (seja) necessário, se (for) necessário
• Russian: е́сли пона́добится (jésli ponádobitsja), в слу́чае необходи́мости (v slúčaje neobxodímosti)
• Swedish: om så krävs, om så behövs, om så erfordras, vid behov
• Turkish: gerektiğinde

See also

• needs must