“He needs some milk” is a phrase that means the same thing as “he needs to drink some milk”. It’s a way to say “drink some milk” without saying “drink some milk”.

Why would you want to do that? Because it’s more polite. You don’t want to tell someone what to do, especially if it’s something simple like drinking milk.

If someone were in your house and you were offering them food or drinks, you wouldn’t just say “have some tea”. You’d say “would you like some tea?” or “would you like something else?” or maybe just “can I get you anything?”.

So when someone asks if I want something at the grocery store, I always ask what they’re offering before saying no. If they say “do you want some milk?”, then I know they’re just offering me one type of milk (usually organic). But if they say “do you need any milk?”, then they might be offering me regular milk or organic milk or whole milk or soy milk or whatever else they have on hand.

It’s also common for someone who isn’t going to be eating with us to offer us food or drinks during a meal. For example, if someone comes over.

Last modified: September 5, 2022