quiero pollo
/kjeɾo poʝo/from spelling rules
To say 'I want chicken' in Spanish, you say quiero pollo.
This phrase is used to express a desire to eat or obtain chicken. In Spanish, you do not need to include the subject pronoun yo (I) because the verb ending -o already indicates that the subject is 'I'.
What does it mean word for word?
quiero is the first-person singular present indicative form of the verb querer (to want) and pollo refers to the meat of the chicken.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word quiero is the first-person singular present indicative form of the verb querer (to want).
How do you pronounce it?
/kjeɾo poʝo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, pollo can be used colloquially to describe someone who is naive or a 'rookie' in certain social or professional circles.
- In some Caribbean dialects, the double ll in pollo is pronounced as a 'j' sound, making it sound more like pojo.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, saying pollo refers to the meat on a plate, but gallina is the word used for the living female bird.
Examples in context
- Me gustaría pollo a la parrilla, por favorI would like grilled chicken, please
- Quisiera pollo al horno, por favorI would like roast chicken, please
- Quiero pollo frito para la cenaI want fried chicken for dinner
- Me apetece pollo asado hoyI feel like having roasted chicken today
- Quiero pollo, por favor.I want chicken, please.
- Hoy quiero pollo con arroz.Today I want chicken with rice.
- No sé qué comer, pero quiero pollo.I don't know what to eat, but I want chicken.
- Si hay menú, quiero pollo.If there is a menu, I want chicken.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are deciding what to cook for dinner.
- AlejandroSofía, ¿qué quieres cenar?Sofía, what do you want to eat for dinner?
- SofíaNo estoy segura, ¿y tú?I'm not sure, and you?
- AlejandroYo quiero pollo.I want chicken.
- SofíaPerfecto, Alejandro, yo también quiero pollo.Perfect, Alejandro, I want chicken too.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
