if need be

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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.

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Czech: v případě potřeby — if necessary
• Danish: om nødvendigt — if necessary
• Dutch: desnoods — if necessary
• Dutch: indien noodzakelijk — if necessary
• Dutch: desgevallend — if necessary
• Estonian: kui vaja — if necessary
• Finnish: jos on tarve — if necessary
• Finnish: jos on pakko — if necessary
• French: si besoin est — if necessary
• French: si nécessaire — if necessary
• French: au besoin — if necessary
• French: en cas de besoin — if necessary
• French: s'il faut — if necessary
• German: wenn es sein muss — if necessary
• German: wenn nötig — if necessary
• German: notfalls — if necessary
• German: falls nötig — if necessary
• Hungarian: ha szükséges — if necessary
• Italian: se ci fosse bisogno — if necessary
• Persian: اگر لازم شد (agar lāzem shod) — if necessary
• Polish: w razie potrzeby — if necessary
• Polish: w razie konieczności — if necessary
• Polish: jeżeli to konieczne — if necessary
• Polish: ewentualnie — if necessary
• Polish: jeśli trzeba — if necessary
• Portuguese: caso necessário (seja) — if necessary
• Portuguese: se necessário — if necessary
• Russian: е́сли пона́добится (jésli ponádobitsja) — if necessary
• Russian: в слу́чае необходи́мости (v slúčaje neobxodímosti) — if necessary
• Spanish: si es menester — if necessary
• Swedish: om så krävs — if necessary
• Swedish: om så behövs — if necessary
• Swedish: om så erfordras — if necessary
• Swedish: vid behov — if necessary
• Turkish: gerektiğinde — if necessary