# "We are needing" vs. "We need" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 7, 2023, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771 "2023-11-07T18:47:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/1 "2023-11-07T18:47:20Z")
I work with a guy who’s first language is not English. He uses the phrase “I am needing a cup of coffee” instead of, “I need a cup of coffee”. I’ve noticed other people at work have begun using this. Is it a dialect or slang that I have not noticed? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/2 "2023-11-07T18:52:41Z")
One is present continuous tense and one is present tense. But I don’t believe his use is appropriate. “I am studying for a test”, or “I am browsing the internet.” are more proper uses of present continuous tense. > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I’ve noticed other people at work have begun using this. To mock him? I would find it unusual for native English speakers to adopt such a manner of speaking just because a non-native speaker uses such phrases. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/3 "2023-11-07T19:05:04Z")
I don’t think they were mocking him, I’ve only seen two others use it in email. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/4 "2023-11-07T19:05:35Z")
It’s probably close to correct grammar usage in his first language. ---
**Author:** ![NinthAcolyte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ninthacolyte/32/13676_2.png) [@NinthAcolyte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinthAcolyte)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/5 "2023-11-07T19:07:15Z")
I can’t speak definitively, of course, as this is a question of colloquial language. It’s a pattern I use myself sometimes, though. If I’m feeling poorly, I often say something to the effect of “I am hurting bad right now” rather than “I hurt right now.” When I use the present continuous I feel like I’m describing an ongoing condition that isn’t a discrete, immediately solvable problem. To address the OP example, if I said “I need a cup of coffee,” I might be saying strictly and precisely that. I want coffee, I intend to get coffee, that will take care of the issue. If I said “I am needing a cup of coffee” my intent might be to communicate that I am in an enduring, ongoing state of tiredness that an actual cup of coffee might or might not remedy. The point isn’t the coffee, the point is that I’m tired. My two cents! (to clarify, I’m a native English speaker.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/6 "2023-11-07T19:07:20Z")
I’m not sure about that. English is weird in that it usually uses present continuous/progressive instead of just the plain present tense for stuff happening _now_. I’m guessing it’s a hypercorrection. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/7 "2023-11-07T19:09:31Z")
I have nothing but admiration for for foreigners who come here and speak English well enough to even be understood much less be perfect. If I went to Japan, China, or Korea, I’d be linguistically helpless. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/8 "2023-11-07T19:10:10Z")
Our local TV weatherman constantly says that he’s “loving to see that.” One day, I’m going to write to his primary education English teachers and ask if they’re – really – okay with this 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/9 "2023-11-07T19:10:57Z")
I’ve noticed that usage in some folks from India, so maybe Hindi doesn’t make the distinction? Or, maybe it’s normal in the Indian dialect of English? I get emails from someone who, when he wants something done, writes “Please do the needful”, which is something I’ve never heard before, but apparently is common among English speakers in India. For what it’s worth, German also doesn’t distinguish between “I swim” and “I am swimming”, so I could see a native German speaker also saying “I am needing…” ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/10 "2023-11-07T19:11:30Z")
I see this all the time, from Native American English speakers. “We are needing” and “we are wanting” are both very common. ---
**Author:** ![NinthAcolyte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ninthacolyte/32/13676_2.png) [@NinthAcolyte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinthAcolyte)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/11 "2023-11-07T19:12:59Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > “loving to see that.” > [@Wolf333](#): > > “We are needing” and “we are wanting” Both of these examples gel with my personal usage and my general feeling that this format implies an ongoing, continuous or repeated state in which one often finds oneself. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/12 "2023-11-07T19:15:06Z")
Over the years working in building services, I’ve heard a ton of odd sentence structure from foreign-accented trades. Like starting a phone call with “I am John.” as opposed to “This is John.” Or “I am a parking attendant.” rather than “This is one of the parking attendants.” I know other languages often have different rules for definite and indefinite articles (one of my backup languages, Welsh, doesn’t have an indefinite article), and those often trip up the building staff as well: “The light is out in this office,” (implying the whole room is dark) as opposed to “There’s a light burned out in this office.” I find it kind of interesting, though often not in the middle of a busy shift when I have to decode messages from the cleaning staff. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/13 "2023-11-07T19:15:51Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > I’ve noticed that usage in some folks from India, so maybe Hindi doesn’t make the distinction? Actually, Hindi does have progressive/continuous aspect, so maybe it uses it differently than English in this situation. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/14 "2023-11-07T19:23:31Z")
This is how I learned/view it … FWIW: > **[Gerunds are (usually) wrong - The Critical Reader](https://thecriticalreader.com/gerunds-are-usually-wrong/)** > > Rule: whenever you are given the choice between a gerund and a conjugated verb on either SAT Writing (Fixing Sentences) or ACT English, pick the conjugated verb. If you’re scanning through ACT English or Fixing Sentences answers, you should... > [@](#): > > **Rule:** whenever you are given the choice between a gerund and a conjugated verb on either SAT Writing (Fixing Sentences) or ACT English, pick the conjugated verb. If you’re scanning through ACT English or Fixing Sentences answers, you should automatically cross out any options that contain gerunds. If nothing that remains works, then you can go back and reassess, but this strategy will usually get you to the right answer a whole lot faster. > > Here’s why: Gerunds can be nasty little critters. They look like verbs. They sound like verbs. They _ought_ to be verbs. But they’re not. ETA: pro forma, I want to throw my hat in with others who find this an interesting English language discussion but would be loath to cast aspersion on a non-native English speaker for speaking this way. I can _butcher_ a couple of foreign languages, and have _always_ depended upon the kindness of strangers (who speak that language as their first) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/15 "2023-11-07T19:27:47Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > ETA: pro forma, I want to throw my hat in with others who find this an interesting English language discussion but would be loath to cast aspersion on a non-native English speaker for speaking this way. > > I can _butcher_ a couple of foreign languages, and have _always_ depended upon the kindness of strangers (who speak that language as their first) Agreed. I’m always down for an in-depth discussion/debate on linguistic trivia, but I’m already walking on eggshells to not let my own answers tip over into punching down on L2 speakers. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/16 "2023-11-07T19:38:24Z")
It’s pretty much standard in Indian English. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/17 "2023-11-07T19:38:26Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > I get emails from someone who, when he wants something done, writes “Please do the needful”, which is something I’ve never heard before, but apparently is common among English speakers in India. It’s the most (in)famous phrase, but I’ve never seen ‘do the needful’ in the wild. I do get ‘please revert back’ in emails from Indian colleagues, and ‘I have a doubt’ which generally means there’s a critical problem. The thing I notice most is ‘today morning’, which is logical, and probably correct in many languages. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Actually, Hindi does have progressive/continuous aspect, so maybe it uses it differently than English in this situation. Might not be Hindi. The OP didn’t say where his coworker is from, and there’s like 20 languages spoken in India anyway. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/18 "2023-11-07T19:39:12Z")
I’m not saying it is Hindi, just that I thought of a major exception. (And I wouldn’t be surprised if other South Asian languages have similar aspect.) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/19 "2023-11-07T19:41:19Z")
Thinking through this some more, “we are needing” or “are you needing” seems like a Midwestern or maybe a Southern thing, too. I’ve definitely heard that extra gerundification from native non-East Coasters. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2023, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771/20 "2023-11-07T19:42:23Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > One day, I’m going to write to his primary education English teachers and ask if they’re – really – okay with this 😉 Ask if they’re being OK with it. 😁 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-needing-vs-we-need/992771.md?page=2)