Meta Description: Complete guide to Spanish verb Querer conjugation. Learn all tenses, expressing desires and preferences, common phrases, and practice with interactive quiz.
Expressing Desires and Affection with Querer
The Spanish verb querer is essential for expressing wants, desires, preferences, and affection. This irregular verb means “to want” or “to love” and is used in both formal and personal contexts. Mastering querer will significantly enhance your ability to express preferences, make requests, and show affection in Spanish.
Quick Navigation:
- Querer Conjugation Charts
- Expressing Desires & Preferences
- Affection and Love
- Common Phrases & Expressions
- Practice Exercises
- Test Your Knowledge
Complete Querer Conjugation Charts
Present Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | quiero | Yo quiero un café. (I want a coffee.) |
| Tú | quieres | Tú quieres viajar. (You want to travel.) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | quiere | Ella quiere estudiar. (She wants to study.) |
| Nosotros | queremos | Nosotros queremos ayudar. (We want to help.) |
| Vosotros | queréis | Vosotros queréis descansar. (You all want to rest.) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | quieren | Ellos quieren comer. (They want to eat.) |
Preterite Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | quise | Yo quise comprar el coche. (I tried to buy the car.) |
| Tú | quisiste | Tú quisiste ayudar. (You tried to help.) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | quiso | Él quiso abrir la puerta. (He tried to open the door.) |
| Nosotros | quisimos | Nosotros quisimos visitarlos. (We tried to visit them.) |
| Vosotros | quisisteis | Vosotros quisisteis ganar. (You all tried to win.) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | quisieron | Ellos quisieron entrar. (They tried to enter.) |
Imperfect Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | quería | Yo quería ser médico. (I wanted to be a doctor.) |
| Tú | querías | Tú querías un helado. (You wanted an ice cream.) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | quería | Mi hermana quería un perro. (My sister wanted a dog.) |
| Nosotros | queríamos | Nosotros queríamos viajar. (We wanted to travel.) |
| Vosotros | queríais | Vosotros queríais jugar. (You all wanted to play.) |
| Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes | querían | Ellos querían aprender. (They wanted to learn.) |
Expressing Desires and Preferences
Querer is used for:
- Direct wants: Quiero agua. (I want water.)
- Preferences: Quiero ir al cine. (I want to go to the movies.)
- Polite requests: Quisiera un café. (I would like a coffee.)
- Attempted actions (in preterite): Quise llamarte. (I tried to call you.)
Affection and Love
Querer also expresses affection:
- Te quiero. (I love you. – for family, friends)
- Quiero a mi familia. (I love my family.)
- Los quiero mucho. (I love you all very much.)
Common Phrases with Querer
- querer decir (to mean)
- sin querer (unintentionally)
- como quieras (as you wish)
- cuando quieras (whenever you want)
- lo que quieras (whatever you want)
Practice Exercises
Complete the sentences:
- Yo ______ visitar España. (want)
- ¿Qué ______ tú comer? (do you want)
- Ellos ______ ayudarnos ayer. (tried to)
- Ella ______ a sus hijos mucho. (loves)
Ready to Master Querer Completely?
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*Test your knowledge with our interactive 20-question quiz covering all tenses and uses of Querer.*
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View complete conjugation tables for all tenses of Querer.
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