Inklingo
A small child with wide eyes and a beaming smile points eagerly at a bright red toy car sitting on a shelf, clearly expressing desire.

querer Present Conjugation

quererto want

A1irregular (e > ie stem change in present tenses and 'quis' stem in past tenses) -er★★★★★
Quick answer:

Querer is a stem-changing verb where the 'e' becomes 'ie' in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

querer Present Forms

yoquiero
quieres
él/ella/ustedquiere
nosotrosqueremos
vosotrosqueréis
ellos/ellas/ustedesquieren

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?

  • 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.

Master Spanish verbs in context

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Related Tenses