Querer Conjugation: Present, Preterite, Imperfect
querer — to want; to love (people)
Querer is 'to want' — the ordering verb ('Quiero un café'). It boot-changes in the present (quiero/quiere, queremos) and has an s-stem preterite (quise) with a famous meaning shift: 'quise' often implies you tried — and maybe failed.
Quick answer
Yo quiero.
I want.
Present "yo" form. Full present: quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, queréis, quieren. Preterite: quise, quisiste, quiso, quisimos, quisisteis, quisieron.
querer — Present
Wanting now: 'Quiero un café, por favor' — I want a coffee, please.
| Pronoun | Spanish form |
|---|---|
| yo | quiero |
| tú | quieres |
| él / ella / usted | quiere |
| nosotros | queremos |
| vosotros | queréis |
| ellos / ustedes | quieren |
querer — Preterite (past, completed)
A completed wanting — tried to: 'Quise ayudar' — I tried to help.
| Pronoun | Spanish form |
|---|---|
| yo | quise |
| tú | quisiste |
| él / ella / usted | quiso |
| nosotros | quisimos |
| vosotros | quisisteis |
| ellos / ustedes | quisieron |
querer — Imperfect (past, ongoing)
Ongoing wanting or loving: 'Quería un café' — I wanted a coffee.
| Pronoun | Spanish form |
|---|---|
| yo | quería |
| tú | querías |
| él / ella / usted | quería |
| nosotros | queríamos |
| vosotros | queríais |
| ellos / ustedes | querían |
Querer's preterite trap: wanted vs tried to
'Quería ayudar' = I wanted to help (a state of mind). 'Quise ayudar' = I tried to help (I acted on it — and in many contexts, didn't succeed). Spanish packs attempt-and-outcome into the preterite; use the imperfect for plain wanting.
Example sentences
Quiero un café grande, por favor.
I want a large coffee, please.
kee-EH-roh oon ca-FÉ GRAHN-deh, pohr fah-VOHR
Quise llamar pero no pude.
I tried to call but couldn't (manage to).
KEE-seh yah-MAHR PEH-roh noh POO-deh
De pequeña quería ser doctora.
As a little girl, she wanted to be a doctor.
deh peh-KEH-nyah keh-REE-ah sehr dohk-TOH-rah
Don't just read it — say it
Conjugation tables are reference material. Fluency comes from producing the forms out loud, in sentences, before the moment passes — and getting corrected mid-sentence when you get them wrong. That's exactly what the AI coach does.
Free 14-day trial · 30 min/mo included
More Spanish verb conjugations
ser — to be (identity, essence, permanent traits)
Yo soy. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
estar — to be (state, location, feelings)
Yo estoy. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
tener — to have
Yo tengo. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
ir — to go
Yo voy. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
hacer — to do, to make
Yo hago. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
decir — to say, to tell
Yo digo. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
poder — to be able to, can
Yo puedo. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect
haber — to have (auxiliary); there is/are
Hay. · Present / Preterite / Imperfect