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“yaḥtāju” (يَحْتَاجُ) is the third-person masculine singular non-past form of the Arabic verb “iḥtāja” (اِحْتَاجَ), which means “to need”.

It can be used in a sentence like this:

• هُوَ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْمَاءِ (huwa yaḥtāju ila al-māʾi) – He needs water.

Here are some other forms of the verb:

• أَحْتَاجُ (ʾaḥtāju) – I need
• تَحْتَاجُ (taḥtāju) – You (feminine singular) need
• نَحْتَاجُ (naḥtāju) – We need

The word “iḥtāja” (احتاج) is the third-person masculine singular past tense of the Arabic verb “ihtāja” (احتاج), which means “to need” or “to require.”

In the present tense, “iḥtāja” transforms to “yaḥtāju” (يَحْتَاجُ) in the third-person masculine singular form, with the full conjugation as follows:

It’s often used in religious contexts, particularly in supplications for the deceased. For example, in the funeral prayer (ṣalāt al-janāzah), the following phrase is recited:

اللَّهُمَّ عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ احْتَاجَ إِلَى رَحْمَتِكَ

Allāhumma ʿabduka wabnu amatika ihtāja ilā raḥmatik. – “O Allah, Your slave and the son of Your maidservant needs Your mercy.”

Here, “ihtāja” is used to emphasize the deceased’s dependence on God’s mercy and forgiveness in the afterlife.

The verb “iḥtāja” (احتاج) comes from the Arabic root ḥ-w-j (ح-و-ج), which generally relates to “need” or “necessity.” Let’s go over the full conjugation of “iḥtāja” in various tenses and persons, along with its grammatical forms and nuances:

Past Tense Conjugation (الماضي)

In the past tense, “iḥtāja” follows the pattern for form VIII (إِفْتَعَلَ) verbs. Here’s how it conjugates:

Person	Arabic	Transliteration
1st person singular	اِحْتَجْتُ	iḥtajtu
2nd person masculine singular	اِحْتَجْتَ	iḥtajta
2nd person feminine singular	اِحْتَجْتِ	iḥtajti
3rd person masculine singular	اِحْتَاجَ	iḥtāja
3rd person feminine singular	اِحْتَاجَتْ	iḥtājat
1st person plural	اِحْتَجْنَا	iḥtajnā
2nd person masculine plural	اِحْتَجْتُمْ	iḥtajtum
2nd person feminine plural	اِحْتَجْتُنَّ	iḥtajtunna
3rd person masculine plural	اِحْتَاجُوا	iḥtājū
3rd person feminine plural	اِحْتَجْنَ	iḥtajna

Present Tense Conjugation (المضارع)

In the present tense, “iḥtāja” transforms to “yaḥtāju” (يَحْتَاجُ) in the third-person masculine singular form, with the full conjugation as follows:

Person	Arabic	Transliteration
1st person singular	أَحْتَاجُ	aḥtāju
2nd person masculine singular	تَحْتَاجُ	taḥtāju
2nd person feminine singular	تَحْتَاجِينَ	taḥtājīna
3rd person masculine singular	يَحْتَاجُ	yaḥtāju
3rd person feminine singular	تَحْتَاجُ	taḥtāju
1st person plural	نَحْتَاجُ	naḥtāju
2nd person masculine plural	تَحْتَاجُونَ	taḥtājūna
2nd person feminine plural	تَحْتَاجْنَ	taḥtajna
3rd person masculine plural	يَحْتَاجُونَ	yaḥtājūna
3rd person feminine plural	يَحْتَجْنَ	yaḥtajna

Imperative (الأمر)

The imperative form is used to give commands and requests. Since the root expresses “to need” or “to be in need of,” the imperative form is typically used with caution, as it implies telling someone to “need” something. Here are the imperative forms for “iḥtāja”:

Person	Arabic	Transliteration
2nd person masculine singular	اِحْتَجْ	iḥtaj
2nd person feminine singular	اِحْتَجِي	iḥtajī
2nd person masculine plural	اِحْتَجُوا	iḥtajū
2nd person feminine plural	اِحْتَجْنَ	iḥtajna

Verbal Noun (المصدر) and Participle Forms

The verbal noun (masdar) for “iḥtāja” is “iḥtiyāj” (احتياج), meaning “need” or “necessity.”

• Active Participle: مُحْتَاج (muḥtāj) – meaning “needing” or “in need of”
• Passive Participle: مُحْتَاج إِلَيْهِ (muḥtāj ilayhi) – meaning “needed” (rarely used)

Example Sentences

• Past Tense: اِحْتَاجَ إِلَى مَاءٍ (iḥtāja ilā māʾin) – “He needed water.”
• Present Tense: يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى قَهْوَةٍ (yaḥtāju ilā qahwa) – “He needs coffee.”
• Verbal Noun: عِنْدِي اِحْتِيَاج إِلَى نَقْدٍ (ʿindī iḥtiyāj ilā naqdin) – “I have a need for cash.”

• arab