do the necessary vs. do the needful.

Anushka Athukorala

Anushka Athukorala

Senior Member
Sri Lanka
Sinhalese
I would like to know the difference or similarity between Do the necessary and do the needful.

Leave it to me – I’ll do the necessary.

I couldn’t find any example regarding “do the needful”. However I’ve heard some local people using it but the native speakers. So is it correct at all? I would like if you could mention a few examples.
 
    • In the US we would say:

    I'll do whatever is necessary.
    I'll do what is necessary.
    I'll do whatever is needed.

    Sometimes you hear "needful" but it is very old-fashioned.
     
    "Do the necessary" sounds strange to me. I would use the alternative forms given by dojibear.

    However, according to necessary - definition of necessary in English from the Oxford dictionary, it is used in British English.
    (the necessary) informal The action or item needed: see when they need a tactful word of advice and do the necessary​

    Our Collins Concise English Dictionary is a dictionary of British English, and it agrees:necessary
    do the necessary ⇒ informal to do something that is necessary in a particular situation
    ​
    I hope a speaker of British English will see this thread and comment.


    Added: I found this previous thread: I will do the necessary
    (It wouldn't have been found in a search earlier; I just changed the title. :) )
     
    Last edited:
    Yes, CopyRight, you are right that "do the needful" is Indian English (not English really; that's why I never use it) -- it's used very ommonly in formal situations here.
     
    Copyright said:
    "Do the needful" is Indian English (in my experience). I use it occasionally for the smile it gives me and my wife. It's not standard western English. I've never heard "do the necessary" by itself.

    There are previous threads:
    do needful/do the needful
    do the needful
    Do the needful
    "Kindly have a look at this and do the needful"
    Please do the needful.
    so that he {do/does} the needful.
    Click to expand...
    Hello Copyright

    Thank you very much for your explanation and the threads. I read them and realized “do the needful” like you explained is not Standard English and it could be even wrong. I heard it from a colleague who is from India and I even had an argument with him over its accuracy because I have never even read it in a book or in any speech from native speakers. So now thanks to your explanations I have no doubt and I am going to stick to what native speakers like you are familiar with otherwise most of the native speakers will not understand or get offended.

    dojibear said:
    In the US we would say:

    I'll do whatever is necessary.
    I'll do what is necessary.
    I'll do whatever is needed.

    Sometimes you hear "needful" but it is very old-fashioned.
    Click to expand...
    Hello dojibear

    Thank you so much for your examples and I’m curious to know if I can say

    I'll do whatever necessary.
    I'll do what necessary.
    I'll do whatever needed.

    Without disturbing much its meaning or they are wrong and not acceptable.

    Cagey said:
    "Do the necessary" sounds strange to me. I would use the alternative forms given by dojibear.

    However, according to necessary - definition of necessary in English from the Oxford dictionary, it is used in British English.
    (the necessary) informal The action or item needed: see when they need a tactful word of advice and do the necessary​

    Our Collins Concise English Dictionary is a dictionary of British English, and it agrees:necessary
    do the necessary ⇒ informal to do something that is necessary in a particular situation​
    ​
    I hope a speaker of British English will see this thread and comment.


    Added: I found this previous thread: I will do the necessary
    (It wouldn't have been found in a search earlier; I just changed the title. :) )
    Click to expand...
    Hello Cagey

    Thank you so much for the explanations and the example. Like you explained “do the necessary” may be common in British English and I’m hopeful that a native British member will answer it so that I can learn that as well. Thank you for every member for their support.
     
    Anushka Athukorala said:
    I heard it from a colleague who is from India and I even had an argument with him over its accuracy because I have never even read it in a book or in any speech from native speakers.
    Click to expand...
    Just as a note to maintain international goodwill: it is not wrong for him in his dialect of English – it's just useful to know that it's pretty specific to that dialect, and that if you write or speak for an international audience, you might wish to avoid it.
     
    The ngrams indicate that in the 19th century "to do the needful" was about as frequently used in writing (in BE) as "to do what is necessary".

    In more recent years it seems to be used only in Indian English. (Click on the date links below the graph to see examples of usage.)
    Google Ngram Viewer

    It's difficult to find results for "to do the necessary", as it often comes up followed by a noun ("to do the necessary repairs" etc.)
     
    I've heard 'do the necessary', and associate it with an agent or a lawyer talking to a client. Here's another tread on it:

    I will do the necessary

    I think you could say that 'do the needful' is standard in Indian English (or South Asian English). It's fine to use it with other South Asians. You just need to be aware the other speakers might find it quaint or old fashioned.

    An article in The Guardian says that it's a jolly useful phrase! :)
    The granddaddy of all Indianisms, a clunky phrase mostly used only by bureaucrats and people forced to plead with the bureaucracy. And yet so apt when you don’t want to type out, “Please send me the five forms I need to file my taxes” or “Please fix the road in front of my house that I have written three letters about already”. “Do the needful” covers a multitude of requirements, and avoids repetition. Should it be revived, old fashioned though it is?
    Click to expand...
     
    Copyright said:
    Just as a note to maintain international goodwill: it is not wrong for him in his dialect of English – it's just useful to know that it's pretty specific to that dialect, and that if you write or speak for an international audience, you might wish to avoid it.
    Click to expand...
    Hello Copyright

    Thank you so much for that explanation. I thought using “do the needful” was wrong. I will follow your advice.

    velisarius said:
    The ngrams indicate that in the 19th century "to do the needful" was about as frequently used in writing (in BE) as "to do what is necessary".

    In more recent years it seems to be used only in Indian English. (Click on the date links below the graph to see examples of usage.)
    Google Ngram Viewer

    It's difficult to find results for "to do the necessary", as it often comes up followed by a noun ("to do the necessary repairs" etc.)
    Click to expand...
    Hello Velisarius

    Thank you so much for the explanation and the graph and it was really helpful. I thought using "do the needful" was not acceptable at all but now I realize that I was wrong to think so. I thought it originated from Asian English but it actually it had originated from British English.

    in your personal experience, do you also use what native Americans use to express the idea of doing something necessary?

    I'll do whatever is necessary.
    I'll do what is necessary.
    I'll do whatever is needed.

    natkretep said:
    I've heard 'do the necessary', and associate it with an agent or a lawyer talking to a client. Here's another tread on it:

    I will do the necessary

    I think you could say that 'do the needful' is standard in Indian English (or South Asian English). It's fine to use it with other South Asians. You just need to be aware the other speakers might find it quaint or old fashioned.

    An article in The Guardian says that it's a jolly useful phrase! :)
    Click to expand...
    Hello Natkretep

    Thank you so much for the explanation and advice.
     
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