The Meaning of iru [要る] In Japanese

要る
いる
Romaji: iru N4

What does 要る mean?

Translation and Meaning

to need, to be needed, to require

Definition

要る (iru) means to be needed or to require something. It expresses that an item, resource, or condition is necessary for a purpose or action and is commonly used in everyday speech to state needs or requests.

Type

verb — intransitive, godan (u-verb, 五段動詞 自動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • 1) Indicating a concrete requirement: a particular object or resource is necessary for something to proceed.
  • 2) Expressing necessity for a situation or action in general, including non-tangible needs.
  • 3) Casual negative form conveys absence of necessity (colloquial ‘not needed’).
  • 4) Appears in polite and plain conjugations, and is used in questions and requests about necessity.

Composition

要 (yō or contextual reading iru) conveys the idea of ‘essential’, ‘need’, or ‘main point’; the kana る is the verb ending that creates the dictionary-form verb 要る (iru), together giving the sense ‘to be needed’.

Usage

Used in both spoken and written Japanese to state that something is required; tends to be more direct and common in everyday conversation while other words for necessity are used in formal registers. Grammatically the thing needed is typically presented as the topic or subject, and speakers choose plain (要る (iru)/要らない (iranai)) or polite (要ります (irimasu)) forms depending on politeness; it’s often used when asking for or listing items, costs, or conditions.
💡 Tips
Visualize 要 as someone holding what’s essential; attach iru as the action ‘is needed’ — when you see the kanji, think “essential + iru = needed.”

Variations

  • 必要だ (hitsuyō da) — to be necessary (more formal/abstract)
  • 要らない (iranai) — not needed (casual negative)
  • 不要 (fuyō) — unnecessary (formal/written)
  • いる (iru) — to exist (homophone; different verb and meaning)
要る