Postby Babelfish » 2012-06-22, 13:56
tsarakh (צרך) means to consume, referring to a person - a consumer or buyer, usually plural. It isn't used for consume meaning eat.
hitstarekh (הצטרך) means to have to, to need, and come to think of it, it's only used in future tense, e.g. nitstarekh we will have to, need. The present uses the adjective tsarikh (צריך), and so does the past with the addition of the past tense of להיות, to be, for example "ani hayiti tsarikh" (אני הייתי צריך) I needed, had to.