HSK 7
能愿动词：需
néng yuàn dòng cí ： xū
Modal verb: 需 (need)
Explanation
需 (xū) is a modal verb (a type of verb placed before the main verb to express possibility, willingness, or necessity), meaning 'to need'. It is a condensed, more formal form of 需要 (xūyào).
Subject (the person or thing acting, at the head of the sentence) + 需 (xū) + main verb/verb phrase. For example, 需休养 (xū xiūyǎng) = to need to rest and recuperate.
Mainly in formal/written usage (used in books and documents, rarely in speech), carrying an objective tone; it often goes with adverbs (words that modify verbs) such as 仍 (réng, still) and 尚 (shàng, yet).
需 (xū) is formal and stands before a verb; 需要 (xūyào) is common in both speech and writing and can also stand before a noun (需要时间 = to need time).
Do not use 需 directly before a noun in ordinary speech (do not say 需时间, say 需要时间); and do not add 要 after 需 (do not mix 需要休养 with 需休养 within the same formal sentence).
Examples
My father's health needs a period of rest and recuperation.
We still need to wait patiently.
Practice
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Learn “能愿动词：需” effectively
The grammar point “能愿动词：需” (Modal verb: 需 (need)) is one of the key structures at HSK 7. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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