What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the infinitive verb querer (to want) and the infinitive verb ir (to go).
Which one should you use?
While querer ir is the base form, other variations exist depending on the context. For example, ¿Te apetece ir…? is used to ask if someone feels like going, and ¿Nos echamos un viaje a…? is a way to suggest going on a trip together.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations include the Mexican expression ¿Le entras a…? or the slang ¿Te late ir…? to suggest an activity. In Argentina, the informal phrase ¿Te copa ir…? is commonly used to ask if someone wants to go somewhere.
How does it change in a sentence?
In a sentence, the verb querer must be conjugated to match the subject. For example, use quiero ir for "I want to go", quieres ir for "you (informal) want to go", quiere ir for "he/she/you (formal) wants to go" and queremos ir for "we want to go".
How do you pronounce it?
/keɾeɾ iɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid inserting the preposition a between the two verbs. Do not say querer a ir. In Spanish, querer is followed directly by the infinitive ir.
When do people say it?
In Latin America, the colloquial expression ¿Nos echamos un viaje a…? is a common way to suggest an outing or a trip to others.
Did you know?
- The way a Spanish speaker says 'I went' can be quite confusing because the form fui comes from the Latin verb 'esse', meaning 'to be', rather than 'to go'.
- While querer usually means 'to want', it is also the primary Spanish verb for 'to love' when referring to people. Depending on the context, quiero ir could be part of an expression of affection.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, using querer ir can sometimes sound too direct or demanding. To be more polite, speakers often use the conditional form querría ir to soften the request.
Examples in context
- ¿Estás seguro de querer ir?Do you really want to go?This example uses querer ir to check for certainty.Tatoeba #6816012 by arh, translation #6815628 by CK
- Todo este tema de Egipto hoy me hace querer ir allí.All this talk of Egypt today makes me want to go there.This example uses querer ir to describe how a topic can inspire a desire to visit a place.Tatoeba #1278938 by marcelostockle, translation #1135060 by CN
- ¿Quieres ir al cine mañana?Do you want to go to the movies tomorrow?
- ¿Nos echamos un viaje a la playa este fin de semana?Do you want to go to the beach this weekend?
- ¿Te apetece ir de compras?Do you feel like going shopping?
- ¿Quieres ir a tomar un café esta tarde?Do you want to go for a coffee this afternoon?
- ¿Te apetece ir al parque de atracciones el próximo sábado?Do you feel like going to the amusement park next Saturday?
- ¿Nos echamos un viaje a la playa este verano?Do you want to go to the beach together this summer?
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ir, querer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
