diff --git a/src/View/Form/ArrayContext.php b/src/View/Form/ArrayContext.php
index 98b48c316b5..f9cc3f7eb54 100644
--- a/src/View/Form/ArrayContext.php
+++ b/src/View/Form/ArrayContext.php
@@ -206,6 +206,14 @@ public function isRequired($field)
         return (bool)$required;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    public function getErrorMessage($field)
+    {
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
diff --git a/src/View/Form/ContextInterface.php b/src/View/Form/ContextInterface.php
index 3daa8f59c8f..47efdd19c8a 100644
--- a/src/View/Form/ContextInterface.php
+++ b/src/View/Form/ContextInterface.php
@@ -70,6 +70,14 @@ public function val($field);
      */
     public function isRequired($field);
 
+    /**
+     * Gets the default "required" error message for a field
+     *
+     * @param string $field A dot separated path to the field
+     * @return string
+     */
+    public function getErrorMessage($field);
+
     /**
      * Get the fieldnames of the top level object in this context.
      *
diff --git a/src/View/Form/EntityContext.php b/src/View/Form/EntityContext.php
index 871d9b46f49..d0ec4ee8b4f 100644
--- a/src/View/Form/EntityContext.php
+++ b/src/View/Form/EntityContext.php
@@ -426,6 +426,34 @@ public function isRequired($field)
         return false;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    public function getErrorMessage($field)
+    {
+        $parts = explode('.', $field);
+
+        $validator = $this->_getValidator($parts);
+        $fieldName = array_pop($parts);
+        if (!$validator->hasField($fieldName)) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        $ruleset = $validator->field($fieldName);
+
+        $presenceErrors = $validator->errors([]);
+        $emptyErrors = $validator->errors([$fieldName => '']);
+
+        if ($ruleset->isPresenceRequired() && isset($presenceErrors[$fieldName])) {
+            return $presenceErrors[$fieldName]['_required'] ?? null;
+        }
+        if (!$ruleset->isEmptyAllowed() && isset($emptyErrors[$fieldName])) {
+            return $emptyErrors[$fieldName]['_empty'] ?? null;
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get the field names from the top level entity.
      *
diff --git a/src/View/Form/FormContext.php b/src/View/Form/FormContext.php
index e1616014eaa..cc657baff7b 100644
--- a/src/View/Form/FormContext.php
+++ b/src/View/Form/FormContext.php
@@ -134,6 +134,14 @@ public function isRequired($field)
         return false;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    public function getErrorMessage($field)
+    {
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
diff --git a/src/View/Form/NullContext.php b/src/View/Form/NullContext.php
index f2e38b11e77..af3e889fba5 100644
--- a/src/View/Form/NullContext.php
+++ b/src/View/Form/NullContext.php
@@ -83,6 +83,14 @@ public function isRequired($field)
         return false;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     */
+    public function getErrorMessage($field)
+    {
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
diff --git a/tests/TestCase/View/Form/EntityContextTest.php b/tests/TestCase/View/Form/EntityContextTest.php
index 088a26170bb..f543f0e8051 100644
--- a/tests/TestCase/View/Form/EntityContextTest.php
+++ b/tests/TestCase/View/Form/EntityContextTest.php
@@ -66,6 +66,25 @@ public function setUp()
         $this->request = new ServerRequest();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * tests getMessage
+     *
+     * @return void
+     */
+    public function testGetMessage()
+    {
+        $this->_setupTables();
+
+        $context = new EntityContext($this->request, [
+            'entity' => new Article(),
+            'table' => 'Articles',
+            'validator' => 'create',
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertNull($context->getErrorMessage('body'));
+        $this->assertSame('Don\'t forget a title!', $context->getErrorMessage('title'));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Test getting entity back from context.
      *
@@ -1283,6 +1302,7 @@ protected function _setupTables()
         ]);
 
         $validator = new Validator();
+        $validator->requirePresence('title', true, 'Don\'t forget a title!');
         $validator->add('title', 'minlength', [
             'rule' => ['minlength', 10]
         ])