「need」の使い方

I was talking about getting around in Tokyo with someone the other day. That person told me:

× Living in Tokyo doesn't need a car.
○ Living in Tokyo doesn't require a car.
○ You don't need a car if you live in Tokyo.

If you check the dictionary, it says "need" means "require". I was thinking about why this seems unnatural to me. I'd say that to safely use "need", the subject should be a person, but that is not always the case. These are natural, though:

• I need a bit more sleep.
• Some of you need to speak English more often.

For matters and things, I'd suggest that you use "require".

• [matter] requires...
• Living in Tokyo doesn't require a car (of people who do so).

The picture above is some pressed tofu that I prepared in order to make five-spice tofu.

△ The recipe I have needs tofu that has had the water removed.
○ The recipe I have requires tofu that has had the water removed.

This tofu has that shape because I used a bowl filled with water to press it. The bowl wasn't as big as the tofu, so the edges didn't get pressed well. It's funny-looking, I thought.

If you need to improve your English, or if your work requires better English skills, I hope you will contact us about joining one of our classes!