The Present Tense of Querer is used to express desires, wants, and wishes in the present moment. For example, Quiero un helado. (I want an ice cream.)

Querer is a stem-changing verb, meaning the vowel in the stem changes from e to ie in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugations

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

Querer generally means “to want” or “to love”, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To want/desire something: for example, Quiero un helado. (I want an ice cream.)

To love someone: for example, Te quiero mucho. (I love you a lot.)

To mean/intend: for example, ¿Qué quieres decir con eso? (What do you mean by that?)

Colloquial: To hit on someone: for example, Ese tipo me quiere. (That guy is hitting on me.)

Rude: To want to have sex: for example, Quiero cogerla. (I want to have sex with her.) Warning: vulgar usage.

Examples

Examples of Querer in the Present Tense

¿Quieres ir al cine esta noche? (Do you want to go to the movies tonight?)

No, gracias. Quiero quedarme en casa y ver una película. (No, thanks. I want to stay home and watch a movie.)

Mis amigos quieren ir a bailar, pero yo prefiero quedarme en casa. (My friends want to go dancing, but I prefer to stay home.)

Mamá, quiero un helado de chocolate. (Mom, I want a chocolate ice cream.)

Juan quiere aprender español para viajar a América Latina. (Juan wants to learn Spanish to travel to Latin America.)

¿Quieren ustedes pedir una pizza para cenar? (Do you all want to order a pizza for dinner?)

Ella quiere ser doctora cuando sea grande. (She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.)

Nosotros queremos tomar un curso de cocina este verano. (We want to take a cooking class this summer.)

¿Quieres salir a caminar un rato? Hace un día hermoso. (Do you want to go for a walk? It’s a beautiful day.)

Mis padres quieren mudarse a una casa más grande el próximo año. (My parents want to move to a bigger house next year.)

¿Quieres que te ayude con tus tareas? (Do you want me to help you with your homework?)

Yo quiero aprender a tocar la guitarra. (I want to learn to play the guitar.)

Ellos quieren viajar a Europa el próximo verano. (They want to travel to Europe next summer.)

¿Quieres ir a la fiesta conmigo el sábado? (Do you want to go to the party with me on Saturday?)

Nosotros queremos comprar una casa nueva el año que viene. (We want to buy a new house next year.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

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

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.