The Imperfect Tense of Querer is used to express ongoing or repeated desires, wishes, and wants in the past. For example, Cuando era niño, quería ser astronauta. (When I was a child, I wanted to be an astronaut.)

Querer is a regular -er verb, so its conjugation in the Imperfect Tense follows the regular pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Querer (to want) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The imperfect tense of querer is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as descriptions and states of being.

To want or desire something: For example, Yo quería un helado. (I wanted an ice cream.)

To express affection or love: For example, Te quería mucho. (I loved you a lot.)

To mean or intend: For example, No quería ofenderte. (I didn’t mean to offend you.)

To express willingness: For example, ¿Querías salir esta noche? (Did you want to go out tonight?)

Colloquial usage (rude): For example, ¿Qué querías, pendejo? (What did you want, dumbass?)

Examples

Examples of Querer in the Imperfect Tense

Yo quería ir al cine, pero mis amigos prefirieron quedarse en casa. (I wanted to go to the movies, but my friends preferred to stay home.)

Cuando era niño, quería ser astronauta y explorar el espacio. (When I was a child, I wanted to be an astronaut and explore space.)

Ella quería aprender a tocar la guitarra, pero nunca tuvo tiempo para tomar clases. (She wanted to learn to play the guitar, but she never had time to take lessons.)

Mis padres querían que estudiara una carrera universitaria, pero yo decidí viajar por el mundo. (My parents wanted me to study a university degree, but I decided to travel the world.)

Nosotros queríamos ir de vacaciones a la playa, pero no teníamos suficiente dinero. (We wanted to go on vacation to the beach, but we didn’t have enough money.)

Ellos querían comprar una casa nueva, pero no pudieron conseguir un préstamo. (They wanted to buy a new house, but they couldn’t get a loan.)

Yo quería comer algo saludable, pero terminé pidiendo una hamburguesa. (I wanted to eat something healthy, but I ended up ordering a hamburger.)

Ella quería aprender a bailar salsa, pero le daba pena tomar clases. (She wanted to learn to dance salsa, but she was embarrassed to take classes.)

Nosotros queríamos ir al concierto, pero las entradas se agotaron rápidamente. (We wanted to go to the concert, but the tickets sold out quickly.)

Ellos querían mudarse a otro país, pero no pudieron conseguir los permisos necesarios. (They wanted to move to another country, but they couldn’t get the necessary permits.)

Yo quería aprender un nuevo idioma, pero no tenía tiempo para estudiar. (I wanted to learn a new language, but I didn’t have time to study.)

Ella quería cambiar de trabajo, pero no encontraba una oportunidad mejor. (She wanted to change jobs, but she couldn’t find a better opportunity.)

Nosotros queríamos ir de camping, pero el clima no lo permitió. (We wanted to go camping, but the weather didn’t allow it.)

Ellos querían abrir un negocio propio, pero no tenían suficiente capital. (They wanted to open their own business, but they didn’t have enough capital.)

Yo quería tomar un curso de cocina, pero no tenía tiempo libre. (I wanted to take a cooking course, but I didn’t have free time.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Querer (to want) in the Imperfect Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.