quieres
/kjeɾes/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "you want to" is expressed as quieres.
The phrase is used to express that someone desires to do something. In many contexts, Spanish speakers may use alternative informal expressions like ¿Te apetece (Do you feel like…) or ¿Tienes ganas de (Do you feel like…?), or ¿Te interesaría (Would you be interested in…?) depending on the specific nuance of the desire.
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, which requires the auxiliary verb "do" to form a question (such as "Do you want…?"), Spanish simply uses the same conjugated form with a rising intonation to indicate a question.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form quieres is the second-person singular informal conjugation of the verb querer. To address a group of people (you all want), use the form quieren.
How do you pronounce it?
/kjeɾes/
Did you know?
- While quieres means 'you want' in the context of desire, the same verb querer is also the standard way to say 'to love' when describing a romantic relationship. For example, 'Te quiero' can mean 'I want you' or 'I love you'.
- The word querer shares a linguistic root with the Latin 'quaerere', which means 'to seek' or 'to look for'. This is the same root that gave English the words 'query' and 'quest'.
- In some Latin American dialects, using quieres in a question can be interpreted as a direct command or a strong push rather than a casual invitation. This can lead to a more assertive tone than the English 'do you want'.
Examples in context
- ¿Quieres ir al zoo?Do you want to go to the zoo?This sentence is useful for asking about a desire to go to a specific location using quieres.Tatoeba #2752929 by Shishir, translation #2752912 by Hybrid
- ¿Quieres usar el mío?Do you want to use mine?This sentence is useful for asking about a desire to use a specific object using quieres.Tatoeba #1508831 by marcelostockle, translation #1461962 by Spamster
- ¿Quieres ir otra vez?Do you want to go again?This sentence is useful for asking about a desire to repeat an action using quieres.Tatoeba #4108336 by sayqeeh, translation #2852532 by CK
- Tú quieres viajar a España.You want to travel to Spain.
- Usted quiere visitar el museo.You want to visit the museum.
- Quieres comer algo?Do you want to eat something?
- Querrás conocer a mis padres algún día.You will want to meet my parents one day.
- 596 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about their plans for the weekend.
- Lucía¿Quieres comer algo ahora?Do you want to eat something now?
- MateoNo, no tengo hambre.No, I am not hungry.
- LucíaEntonces, ¿quieres ver una película?Then, do you want to watch a movie?
- MateoSí, esa es una buena idea.Yes, that is a good idea.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
