faltar vs necesitar

Question

What is the difference between faltar and necesitar? When do you say "me falta" rather than "necesito" and vice versa?

Answer 1

Well, the basics would be that faltar is when something is missing, and necesitar is when something is needed. So yes they can mean the same thing, but it depends on the context. If something is missing, it's not necessarily needed. If something is missing from you(me falta), it could be needed, or it might not be.

You're watching the game and munching on some chips - "Me falta una coca". (You don't really need a coke... though it could be said.)

If you're due to take your pills, "you need to take your pills". If you haven't showered in 3 days, "necesitas bañarte ya".

I know in Mexico at least we also often use the verb ocupar when you would say "need" in english.

So...say I'm at a restaurant and I'm missing a fork. Which of the following would I tell the waiter. 1. Me falta un tenedor. 2. Necesito un tenedor. 3. ¿Me trae un tenedor? 4. Querría un tenedor. - nathanr1203, Jun 22, 2014

All are great except for the last. The conditional doesn't really apply in this context. If you wanted to go that route it would be more like "Me gustaría tener un tenedor" or "Quisiera tener un tenedor". - Kiwaiano, Jun 22, 2014

You could also say, "Disculpa, solo ocupo un tenedor." - Kiwaiano, Jun 22, 2014