Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| querer | /keˈɾeɾ/ |
| desear | /deseˈaɾ/ |
The primary way to express a want or intention is with querer. This verb is used for everyday desires, such as wanting an object or wanting to perform an action. When used with people, querer can mean 'to love' in a friendly or romantic sense, though it is less profound than amar. You may also encounter the noun forms afán, anhelo or querencia to express a desire, wish or longing or falta to express a lack of something.
Which one should you use?
While both querer and desear mean 'to want', querer is the standard verb used for everyday desires and intentions. In contrast, desear is more intense and often implies a strong longing or sexual desire. For informal expressions of wanting, you can use the phrase tener ganas, which literally means 'to have the desire'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, people often use the verb apetecer instead of querer to express wants. In Latin America, the phrase tener antojo is commonly used to express specific cravings or desires.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Querer is highly irregular in the present tense, changing its stem from quer- to quier- in most forms, such as yo quiero (I want). Additionally, the future tense of querer uses the irregular stem querr-, such as in querré (I will want).
How do you pronounce it?
/keˈɾeɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use desear for simple requests like 'I want a coffee', but querer is the much more natural choice for daily needs.
Did you know?
- The noun querencia describes a specific type of longing or a place where one feels safe and at home. In the world of bullfighting, it refers to the spot in the ring where the bull feels most secure.
- The Spanish verb querer is a direct linguistic relative of the English word 'query'. Both words trace back to the Latin 'quaerere', which means 'to seek' or 'to ask'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is considered impolite to use querer when ordering at a restaurant. Instead, people use the conditional quisiera to sound more polite, similar to 'I would like'.
Examples in context
- ¿Vas a querer más?Are you going to want more?This sentence uses querer to ask about wanting more.Tatoeba #8563756 by arh, translation #10274058 by LimeGreenTeknii
- Vas a querer ver esto.You'll want to see this.This sentence uses querer to express a desire to see something.Tatoeba #2011987 by marcelostockle, translation #2011983 by CK
- ¿Qué más podría querer?What more could I want?This sentence uses querer to ask about a person's wants.Tatoeba #2411736 by Shishir, translation #54898 by CK
- Me gustaría una taza de café, por favor.I would like a cup of coffee, please.
- Desearía obtener más información sobre este producto.I would like to get more information about this product.
- Quiero ir al cine esta noche.I want to go to the movies tonight.
- Tengo ganas de comer pizza.I feel like eating pizza.
- ¿Te apetece tomar algo?Do you want something to drink?
- Tengo antojo de helado.I have a craving for ice cream.
- 49 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “want” translations and entries querer, desear, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries desear, querer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
