desearía
“desearía” means “I would like” in Spanish (When speaking about oneself (yo)).
I would like, He/She/You (formal) would like
Also: I would wish
📝 In Action
Yo desearía hablar con el gerente, por favor.
B1I would like to speak with the manager, please.
Ella desearía viajar por todo el mundo si tuviera el dinero.
B2She would wish to travel all over the world if she had the money.
¿Qué desearía tomar, señorita? ¿Café o té?
B1What would you like to drink, miss? Coffee or tea?
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: desearía
Question 1 of 2
Which English phrase best captures the polite and hypothetical nature of 'Desearía un vaso de agua'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The word 'desear' comes from the Latin 'desiderare,' which means 'to long for' or 'to wish for.' The conditional ending '-ía' comes from the Latin verb 'habere' (to have), showing a connection to a hypothetical state.
First recorded: 13th century (for the root verb 'desear')
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'desearía' and 'quisiera'?
'Desearía' (I would wish/like) and 'quisiera' (I would want/wish) are both polite ways to express a desire. 'Quisiera' (from 'querer') is generally considered slightly more common and often even more polite when ordering food or making simple requests.
Does 'desearía' only apply to 'yo' (I)?
No. 'Desearía' is also the correct form for 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), and 'usted' (you, formal). The context or a pronoun must tell you who is doing the wishing.