verb HSK 3
don't need · not necessary · no need to
Meaning
不需要 is a negated form of 需要 (to need). It expresses that something is not needed or not necessary. This is one of the most common ways in Mandarin to say you don't need something or that something doesn't require doing.
Usage
Native speakers use 不需要 in both formal and informal contexts. It can be followed directly by a noun (不需要帮助 - don't need help) or by a verb phrase (不需要担心 - no need to worry). It's slightly more formal than 不用, though both are commonly used and often interchangeable in daily speech.
Examples
- 01你不需要每天来，一周来两次就可以。, .You don't need to come every day; coming twice a week is fine.
- 02这件事不需要你操心，我自己能处理。, .You don't need to worry about this matter; I can handle it myself.
Characters
Common collocations
- 不需要担心no need to worry
- 不需要帮忙don't need help
- 不需要钱don't need money
- 暂时不需要don't need it for now
Antonyms
Origin
不需要 combines the negative particle 不 with 需要 (need/require). 需 originally meant 'to wait for' in Classical Chinese, while 要 meant 'to want/demand'. Together they form a compound meaning necessity or requirement.