How to Say “Want” in Portuguese

Ways to say it

You use querer to express a desire for something or to want to perform an action. When you want to perform an action, querer is followed directly by the infinitive of the second verb, such as querer comer (to want to eat).

Which one should you use?

While querer is the verb used to express the action of wanting, vontade is the related noun used to express having the "will" or "desire" to do something.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

For a more formal and polite tone, you can use desejar, which is a common and versatile verb. If you want to convey a polite request or desire that translates to "would like," you can use gostaria de. If you are expressing a more serious desire or a specific plan, pretender (to intend) is used.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Brazilian Portuguese, the colloquial expression tá afim de is popular and can be translated as "feel like" or "in the mood for."

Related words

Desire, wish, longing (noun): afã, vontade.

Lack (of) (noun): falta.

How do you pronounce it?

/keˈɾe(ʁ)/

What mistakes should you avoid?

English speakers often mistakenly try to use the noun vontade as a verb to express wanting. Instead, you must use the conjugated forms of querer to express the action.