quiero ver la televisión
/kjeɾo beɾ la telebisjon/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I want to watch tv" is expressed as quiero ver la televisión.
This phrase is used to express a desire to view programs on a television set. In Spanish, the verb ver (to see/watch) is the standard verb used when talking about watching television, movies or shows.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of quiero (I want), ver (to see/watch) and la televisión (the television).
Which one should you use?
You may encounter variations like Quiero ver la tele or Quiero ver tele in more casual settings or Quisiera ver televisión and Desearía ver la televisión for more polite or formal expressions.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The shortened form tele is common in some Latin American countries, where it is often used instead of the full word televisión. Additionally, the phrase Me apetece ver la tele is used in some regions, especially in Spain, to mean "I feel like watching TV".
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase quiero ver la televisión, the verb querer (to want) is conjugated in the first-person singular present tense as quiero.
Did you know?
- While ver is the standard verb for watching TV, it is also used in the idiom ver las estrellas (to see the stars) to describe feeling a sudden, sharp pain.
- The Spanish word ver is a distant relative of the English words 'wit' and 'wise'. All these words trace back to an ancient root meaning 'to see' or 'to know'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, asking for the remote control is described using the word mando, while in others it is control remoto.
Examples in context
- Ahora quiero ver la televisión.Now I want to watch TV.
- No, quiero ver la televisión en la sala.No, I want to watch TV in the living room.
- ¿Sabes? Quiero ver la televisión un rato.You know? I want to watch TV for a while.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are relaxing in the living room.
- LucíaMateo, quiero ver la televisión.Mateo, I want to watch TV.
- MateoEstá bien, ¿qué quieres ver?That is fine, what do you want to watch?
- LucíaQuiero ver las noticias.I want to watch the news.
- MateoVale, voy a buscar el control remoto.Okay, I am going to look for the remote.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, televisión, ver, CC BY-SA 4.0.
