querer

to want

Spanish Irregular

The Spanish verb "querer" means "to want" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "querer" across all 5 tenses.

Lexi
Lexi's Memory Hack

QUERER is a boot verb: E → IE. "QUIEro, QUIEres, QUIEre… queremos, queréis, QUIEren." Think of stomping your foot saying "QUIERo!" when you really want something.

Querer preterite (quise) means "tried to" in affirmative and "refused to" in negative — context changes meaning!

How to Conjugate "querer" in the Present Tense

Presente de indicativo Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
yo I quiero
you (informal) quieres
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) quiere
nosotros we queremos
vosotros you all (Spain) queréis
ellos/ustedes they/you all quieren
Ella quiere aprender español.
She wants to learn Spanish.

How to Conjugate "querer" in the Past (completed) Tense

Pretérito perfecto simple Actions that finished in the past
Person English Conjugation
yo I quise
you (informal) quisiste
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) quiso
nosotros we quisimos
vosotros you all (Spain) quisisteis
ellos/ustedes they/you all quisieron
Ella quiso aprender a bailar.
She wanted to learn to dance.

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How to Conjugate "querer" in the Past (ongoing) Tense

Pretérito imperfecto Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
yo I quería
you (informal) querías
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) quería
nosotros we queríamos
vosotros you all (Spain) queríais
ellos/ustedes they/you all querían
Ella quería aprender español.
She wanted to learn Spanish.

How to Conjugate "querer" in the Future Tense

Futuro simple Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
yo I querré
you (informal) querrás
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) querrá
nosotros we querremos
vosotros you all (Spain) querréis
ellos/ustedes they/you all querrán
Ella querrá estudiar mucho.
She will want to study a lot.

How to Conjugate "querer" in the Would (conditional) Tense

Condicional simple Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
yo I querría
you (informal) querrías
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) querría
nosotros we querríamos
vosotros you all (Spain) querríais
ellos/ustedes they/you all querrían
Ella querría ser feliz.
She would want to be happy.

Frequently Asked Questions About "querer"

Is "querer" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"Querer" is an irregular Spanish verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "querer" mean in English?
The Spanish verb "querer" means "to want" in English.
How do you conjugate "querer" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente de indicativo): yo → quiero, tú → quieres, él/ella/usted → quiere, nosotros → queremos, vosotros → queréis, ellos/ustedes → quieren.
How many tenses does "querer" have in Spanish?
"Querer" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Spanish: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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