Skip to content
Spanish · Verb · #12 most common

querer

to want
to love

Irregular-er ending

In the tables below, the stem is shown in black and the ending in purple.

1.

Presente

Habitual actions, general truths, and what's happening now.

yoquiero
quieres
él/ellaquiere
nosotrosqueremos
vosotrosqueréis
ellos/ellasquieren

Quiero un café antes de empezar el trabajo.

I want a coffee before starting work.

Ella quiere ir al cine este fin de semana.

She wants to go to the movies this weekend.

2.

Pretérito Indefinido

Completed actions at a specific point in the past.

yoquise
quisiste
él/ellaquiso
nosotrosquisimos
vosotrosquisisteis
ellos/ellasquisieron

Ayer quise comprar un libro, pero estaba cerrado.

Yesterday I wanted to buy a book, but it was closed.

Ellos quisieron ayudarme con el proyecto.

They wanted to help me with the project.

3.

Imperfecto

Ongoing or repeated actions in the past, descriptions, and background context.

yoquería
querías
él/ellaquería
nosotrosqueríamos
vosotrosqueríais
ellos/ellasquerían

Cuando era niño, quería ser astronauta.

When I was a child, I wanted to be an astronaut.

Siempre queríamos pasar las vacaciones en la playa.

We always wanted to spend the holidays at the beach.

4.

Futuro Simple

Future actions, predictions, and speculation about the present.

yoquer
querrás
él/ellaquer
nosotrosquerremos
vosotrosquerréis
ellos/ellasquerrán

Mañana querré visitar a mis abuelos.

Tomorrow I will want to visit my grandparents.

Ellos querrán estudiar en el extranjero el próximo año.

They will want to study abroad next year.

5.

Condicional

Hypothetical situations, polite requests, and future-in-the-past.

yoquerría
querrías
él/ellaquerría
nosotrosquerríamos
vosotrosquerríais
ellos/ellasquerrían

Si tuviera tiempo, querría aprender a tocar la guitarra.

If I had time, I would want to learn to play the guitar.

Ella querría viajar por el mundo si pudiera.

She would want to travel the world if she could.

6.

Subjuntivo Presente

Wishes, doubts, emotions, and subordinate clauses expressing uncertainty.

yoquiera
quieras
él/ellaquiera
nosotrosqueramos
vosotrosqueráis
ellos/ellasquieran

Espero que tú quieras venir a la fiesta.

I hope that you want to come to the party.

Es importante que ellos quieran participar en la reunión.

It is important that they want to participate in the meeting.

7.

Subjuntivo Imperfecto

Past subjunctive contexts, hypothetical si-clauses, and polite suggestions.

yoquisiera
quisieras
él/ellaquisiera
nosotrosquisiéramos
vosotrosquisierais
ellos/ellasquisieran

Si yo quisiera, iría contigo a la montaña.

If I wanted, I would go with you to the mountain.

Ojalá que ella quisiera ayudarme con la tarea.

I wish she wanted to help me with the homework.

"querer" in other languages

Related verbs

Common questions
Is "querer" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"querer" is an irregular Spanish verb. It does not follow the standard -er conjugation pattern and must be memorized.
How do you conjugate "querer" in the present tense?
In the Presente, "querer" conjugates as: quieres, quiero, quieren, and more. See the full table above.
What is the past tense of "querer" in Spanish?
In the Pretérito Indefinido, "querer" conjugates as: quisiste, quise, quisieron, and more. See the full table above.
How common is "querer" in Spanish?
"querer" (to want, to love) is one of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish.