
querer Present Conjugation
querer — to want
Querer is a stem-changing verb where the 'e' becomes 'ie' in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
querer Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to express current desires, needs, or to say 'I love you' (te quiero) to friends and family.
Notes on querer in the Present
This is a classic e > ie boot verb. The change happens in the 'boot' (yo, tú, él, ellos) but not in the 'outside' forms (nosotros, vosotros).
Example Sentences
Quiero un café por favor.
I want a coffee please.
yo
¿Quieres ir al cine conmigo?
Do you want to go to the movies with me?
tú
Queremos viajar a España este verano.
We want to travel to Spain this summer.
nosotros
Mis padres quieren comprar una casa.
My parents want to buy a house.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Saying 'queremos' as 'quieremos'.
Correct: The correct form is queremos.
Why: Stem changes (e > ie) never occur in the nosotros or vosotros forms in the present indicative.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: quise
The preterite of querer uses the irregular stem 'quis-' with endings like quise, quisiste, and quiso.
Imperfect
yo: quería
The imperfect of querer is regular: quería, querías, quería, queríamos, queríais, querían.
Future
yo: querré
The future tense of querer uses the irregular stem 'querr-' followed by standard future endings.
Conditional
yo: querría
The conditional uses the irregular stem 'querr-' with endings like querría, querrías, querría.
Present Subjunctive
yo: quiera
The present subjunctive follows the e > ie stem change: quiera, quieras, quiera, queramos, queráis, quieran.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: quisiera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'quis-' stem from the preterite: quisiera, quisieras, quisiera.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: quiere
The imperative of querer is rarely used, but follows the standard command forms: quiere, quiera, quered, quieran.
Negative Imperative
yo: no quieras
The negative imperative uses the present subjunctive: no quieras, no quiera, no queramos, no queráis, no quieran.