Today we are going to learn how to properly use the Spanish verb querer. Our Spanish school, El Rincón del Tándem, will explain how to use it in a nutshell 😊
The Spanish verb querer is one of those essentials Spanish verbs that every student must absolutely know when taking Spanish lessons and starting using the language daily.
So, let’s take a look and its meaning and uses!
1. Querer: To want
Querer means to want and we use it to express our wishes and desires.
When we want something, we use it followed by a noun: Querer + noun
- ¿Quieres un café? = Do you want a coffee?
- No gracias. Quiero un vaso de agua = No thanks. I want a glass of water
When we wish to do something, we use Querer + verb in infinitive
- Quiero abrir una tienda de discos = I want to open a record shop
- María quiere pintar su habitación de azul = Maria wants to paint her room blue
Furthermore, when would like someone do something, the structure to be used is:
Querer + que + (personal pronoun/proper or common nouns) + verb in the subjunctive
- Quiero que compres una botella de vino = I want you to buy a bottle of wine
- Pilar quiere que Mario vaya a su fiesta de cumpleaños = Pilar wants Mario to come to her birthday party
- Andrea quiere que le haga un retrato = Andrea wants me to make a portrait of her
As we have already explained in this post, the Spanish verb querer is commonly used to in the conditional mood to make polite requests.
See the examples below:
- Buenas tardes. Querría saber si todavía quedan entradas para el concierto de esta noche = Good afternoon. I would like to know if there are still tickets left for tonight’s concert
2. Querer: To love
Querer is the most used verb to express affection to someone (a family member, a friend, a partner, a pet, etc.). In this case, the verb querer is followed by the preposition A.
Querer + A + proper or commo noun
- Lucas quiere mucho a su gata = Lucas loves his cat very much
- Pablo quiere muchísimos a su abuela = Pablo loves her grandmother very much
- ¡Te quiero mucho! = I love you so much!
Finally, let’s take alook at acouple of set phrases with the Spanish verb querer.
– Querer decir: to mean, to want/try to say
In Spanish we use it to explain the meaning of a words and to better express ourself, to clarify what we want to say:
- ¿Que quiere decir “uscita”? = What does “uscita” mean?
- ¿Qué quieres decir con este mensaje? = What do you want to say by this message?
- ¡No te ofenda! Solo quería decir que necesitas esforzarte un poco más = No offence! I just wanted to say that you need to try a little harder!
– Sin querer: accidentally, unintentionally
- Se me cayó la pintura y sin querer manché el suelo = I dropped the painting and accidentally stained the floor
We really hope our post on the Spanish verb querer will be helpful to you!
You might be also interested in our previous article on the Spanish verb soler 😉
As usual, we invite you to expand your knowledge of Spanish verbs during Spanish lessons and practicing the language every day, inside and outside the school.
Finally, our Spanish school El Rincón del Tándem would be happy to provide you with Spanish courses here in Valencia.
¡Hasta pronto!
