Querer is an essential verb in Spanish to limited desire. Querer can mean "to desire", but information technology tin can also hateful "to dear" (you may accept heard that the phrase te quiero means "I beloved you lot"). As with pretty much whatever absolutely necessary and frequently-used Spanish verb, the verb querer is irregular, which means that information technology does not follow the usual conjugation patterns.

What kind of verb is querer?

Querer is a transitive verb, which means that it usually takes on one object. This tin can also be dropped in Spanish, which I will explicate further below. Information technology is either followed by a noun, a verb in the infinitive course (ending in er, ar, or ir), or que + subjunctive. In terms of what matters for conjugation, querer is an irregular, stem-irresolute, er verb.

Verbals of querer

To apply querer in a judgement, you lot volition either conjugate it, or use a verbal. Before we get into the querer conjugation, let'south first past seeing how the three verbals work with this verb.

Infinitive: querer (to want/to love)

Example:
Te voy a querer por toda la vida.
I am going to dearest you lot for life.

Gerund: queriendo (wanting/loving)

Example:
Mi hijo está queriendo salir.
My son is wanting to leave.

Come across more than on how to use the gerund in our estar conjugation guide.

Participle: querido (wanted/loved)

Example:

Deberías disfrutar de tu vida, es lo que Marta habría querido.
You should savor your life, information technology's what Marta would take wanted.

For an explanation on this structure, see our article on how to use haber.

Annotation: querido/querida is also a substantive pregnant something like "darling".

Querer conjugation: basic forms

The nigh common querer conjugation forms are as follows:

Subject Present Preterite Hereafter Imperfect
yo quiero quise querré quería
tú quieres quisiste querrás querías
él, ella, Usted quiere quiso querrá quería
nosotros queremos quisimos querremos queríamos
vosotros queréis quisisteis querréis querías
ellos, ellas, ustedes quieren quisieron querrán querían

If you are confused about whatsoever of the verb forms mentioned in this article, make certain you check out our ultimate guide to all the Spanish tenses.

Examples of querer conjugation in present tense

  • ¿Quieres que me quede más tiempo?
    Do you want me to stay longer?
  • Juanito no lo admite, pero yo sé que quiere mucho ir de paseo.
    Juanito doesn't admit it, simply I know he really wants to get out.
  • Los amigos de María la quieren mucho, es súper bonito.
    Maria's friends love her so much, it's really nice.

Even though querer in the nowadays tense is technically an irregular verb, all of the conjugations follow the same pattern. So once you know 1 conjugation, you lot know them all. For me, hearing kids screaming "yo quiero…" over and over again was enough to call up this for life!

If you're confused, run into our guide to present tense in Spanish hither.

Examples of querer conjugation in past preterite tense

  • Alejandra me pidió una bebida pero yo no quise invitar.
    Alejandra asked me for a drink simply I didn't want to shout.
  • Si realmente quisisteis vivir allá, entonces, ¿por qué no os trasladasteis?
    If y'all (pl.) really wanted to live there, so why didn't y'all move?
  • Los alumnos quisieron burlarse de mí, por eso dijeron aquello.
    The students really wanted to make fun of me, that's why they said that.

The past preterite class of querer is actually not used very often. This is because talking virtually wanting something in the by generally makes more sense using the imperfect course. For the preterite form of querer to be used, there is usually an unsaid determination being made or action being taken.

Examples of querer conjugation in future tense

  • Ahora Paulo die que no le interesa el amor, pero seguro que algún día querrá.
    Today he says he's not interested in honey, but surely one twenty-four hours he will want (information technology).

For the future tense, the stem is shortened to but consist of querr. From there, the hereafter is conjugated as normal. Again, this is not a very unremarkably heard grade of the verb querer. When talking virtually wanting something in the future, it is more common to use the "going to" equivalent, which is ir a + infinitive verb. Learn more than nigh the future tense here.

Examples of querer conjugation in past imperfect tense

  • Yo siempre quería entender por qué la gente discrimina a otros sólo por raza.
    I always wanted to understand why people discriminate against others just because of race.
  • Helena quería mucho escribirle a su ex-novio, pero nunca lo hizo. Helena actually wanted to text her ex-boyfriend, just she never did.
  • Si ustedes querían tanto verme bailando, ¿por qué no me dijeron?
    If you lot (pl.) wanted so much to see me dancing, why didn't yous say so?

The all-time way to limited by desires is using this past imperfect form of the verb querer. This expresses longing that was ongoing up until a certain point.

What is the difference between quise/quiso and quería?

Mostly speaking, quise and quiso refer to a specific consequence, where someone wanted or didn't want something at a specific time, and there was an consequence for that. On the other manus quería is more likely to be used in all other circumstances, then most general situations.

In many contexts, the past preterite form of querer can be used inerchangably with the by imperfect tense. So, while at that place is a distinction betwixt these two, it is and so minor that it'southward not something you should worry about too much.

Querer conjugation: Advanced forms

The more advanced querer conjugation forms are every bit follows:

If y'all are confused about whatever of the verb forms mentioned in this article, make certain you lot cheque out our ultimate guide to all the Spanish tenses.

Subject Present Subjunctive (that you) desire Imperfect Subjunctive
(if I) wanted… 		Conditional
(I) would want
yo quiera quisiera querría
tú quieras quisieras querrías
él, ella, Usted quiera quisiera querría
nosotros queramos quisieramos querríamos
vosotros queráis quisierais querríais
ellos, ellas, ustedes quieran quisieran querrían

Examples of querer conjugation in present subjunctive

  • Cuando quieras salir, mándame un mensaje.
    When you lot want to go out, send me a bulletin.
  • Haz lo que quiera, no me importa.
    Do whatever yous (formal) desire, I don't care.
  • Me gustaría que mis colegas me quieran.
    I would like my workmates to honey me.

As is commonly the case even for irregular verbs, the subjunctive form of the Castilian verb querer takes the stalk of the start-person present tense. It so adds the catastrophe of a plus the regular blueprint consonant.

Examples of querer conjugation in imperfect subjunctive

  • Si yo quisiera ser madre, ya habría tenido hijos.
    If I wanted to be a mother, I would take already had children.
  • Si quisieramos quedarnos en silenco, no estaríamos aquí.
    If we wanted to stay silent, we wouldn't exist hither.
  • Me habría gustado que quisieran comer mi pastel.
    I would accept liked it if you had wanted to swallow my cake.

Querer is ane of the virtually mutual verbs to use in the imperfect subjunctive course. This is considering unlike other verbs in this form, quisiera tin be used on its own and has a meaning of its own. Quisiera means something similar "I would similar" and is often used when ordering food in restaurants and cafes.

Examples of querer conjugation in conditional mood

  • Quien querría comer aquella cosa asquerosa?
    Who would want to eat that disgusting affair?

Like the past preterite course, the conditional form of querer is non a very commonly used 1. This is because it is more mutual to use imperfect subjunctive (quisiera) instead to express conditional desire.

When you can drib the object with the Spanish verb querer

In Spanish, it is common to use the Spanish verb querer in a sentence without any overt field of study. This is because the object is implied. So, instead of maxim "I desire information technology" or "I want to", they only say quiero.

For example:

  • Yo le pedí a Daniel que me acompañara pero no quiere.
    I asked Daniel to come with me, but he doesn't want to.
  • Te ofrecí una galleta y me dijiste que no quieres.
    I offered yous a biscuit and yous told me you don't want it.

So, that concludes our virtual lesson on the verb querer conjugation. Hopefully this article has cleared up some of your confusion around how querer is conjugated in Castilian. Remember, querer is irregular so what is truthful for this verb is not necessarily true for other verbs.

If you lot want to see how regular verbs are conjugated, or just desire to castor upwards on your cognition of the different tenses, make sure you check out our overview of tenses in Spanish, which has all the info y'all need.

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