# querer conjugation

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Updated 2026-10-29 · HTML version: https://learnwithkin.com/spanish/conjugations/querer

> *Querer* means "to want", and with a person, "to love". The present changes its stem (*quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, queréis, quieren*), the preterite has its own (*quise, quisiste, quiso*), and the future and conditional get a double *r* (*querré, querría*). *Quisiera* is the polite "I'd like".

**Diagram.** In the present, the four forms stressed on the stem turn the e into ie, and together they make a boot shape: quiero, quieres, quiere, quieren. Queremos and queréis sit outside it and keep quer-. The past gets its own stem, quis-.
> The conjugation of querer as two grids, singular on the left and plural on the right. Present: yo quiero, tú quieres, él quiere, nosotros queremos, vosotros queréis, ellos quieren; a boot is drawn round quiero, quieres, quiere and quieren, where the e becomes ie. Preterite: quise, quisiste, quiso, quisimos, quisisteis, quisieron, with the stem's is marked.
- querer, present: qu**ie**ro, qu**ie**res, qu**ie**re, queremos, queréis, qu**ie**ren.
- querer, preterite: qu**is**e, qu**is**iste, qu**is**o, qu**is**imos, qu**is**isteis, qu**is**ieron.
- Bold marks the letters that break the pattern.
- **Red pencil** is what breaks the pattern. The outline is the boot. Textbooks call these *boot verbs* because the forms that change make that shape.
- Same boot as *tienes, tiene, tienen*, and as *pienso* (pensar) and *entiendo* (entender).

**querer** — to want, to love. *Quiero*.

## Present indicative

*The everyday present: what you do, what's true, what's going on.*


| Pronoun | querer | Say |
| --- | --- | --- |
| yo | quiero | KYEH-roh |
| tú | quieres | KYEH-rehs |
| él / ella / usted | quiere | KYEH-reh |
| nosotros | queremos | keh-REH-mohs |
| vosotros | queréis | keh-REH-ees |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | quieren | KYEH-rehn |

When the stress lands on the stem, the *e* turns into *ie*: *quiero, quieres, quiere, quieren*. *Nosotros* and *vosotros* keep *quer-*. Same change as *tener* (*tienes*) and *pensar* (*pienso*). With *vos* it's *vos querés*.

## Preterite

*The past for things that happened and finished: "I went", "she said".*


| Pronoun | querer | Say |
| --- | --- | --- |
| yo | quise | KEE-seh |
| tú | quisiste | kee-SEES-teh |
| él / ella / usted | quiso | KEE-soh |
| nosotros | quisimos | kee-SEE-mohs |
| vosotros | quisisteis | kee-sees-TAY-ees |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | quisieron | kee-SYEH-rohn |

New stem, *quis-*, with an *s*, and no accents. In the preterite it often means "tried to": *quise llamarte* (I tried to call you). And *no quise* is "I refused": *no quiso venir* (he wouldn't come).

## Imperfect

*The past for how things were or used to be: "I was going", "we used to live".*


| Pronoun | querer | Say |
| --- | --- | --- |
| yo | quería | keh-REE-ah |
| tú | querías | keh-REE-ahs |
| él / ella / usted | quería | keh-REE-ah |
| nosotros | queríamos | keh-REE-ah-mohs |
| vosotros | queríais | keh-REE-ah-ees |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | querían | keh-REE-ahn |

Totally regular, and it's the everyday "wanted": *quería ir* (I wanted to go). You'll also hear it in shops as a polite ask: *quería un café* (I'd like a coffee).

## Future, conditional and subjunctive

*"Will" and "would", plus the subjunctive: the form Spanish uses after wishes, doubts and "if" (espero que…, si fuera…).*


| Pronoun | Future | Conditional | Pres. subj. | Imp. subj. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| yo | querré | querría | quiera | quisiera |
| tú | querrás | querrías | quieras | quisieras |
| él / ella / usted | querrá | querría | quiera | quisiera |
| nosotros | querremos | querríamos | queramos | quisiéramos |
| vosotros | querréis | querríais | queráis | quisierais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | querrán | querrían | quieran | quisieran |

The future and conditional drop the *e*, which leaves two *r*s in a row: *querré*, with a rolled *rr*. And *quisiera* is the most polite way to say "I'd like": *quisiera una mesa para dos* (I'd like a table for two).

## Gerund and past participle

*The "-ing" form (estoy hablando, I'm talking) and the one that goes with haber (he hablado, I've talked).*


| Form | querer | In a sentence |
| --- | --- | --- |
| gerund (-ing) | queriendo | *Lo dijo queriendo ayudar* (he said it wanting to help) |
| past participle | querido | *Siempre he querido ir* (I've always wanted to go) |

*Querido* also means "dear": *querida Ana* at the top of a letter, or *mi querido* to someone you love.

## Imperative

*Commands: telling someone to do something, or not to.*


| Pronoun | Affirmative | Negative |
| --- | --- | --- |
| tú | quiere | no quieras |
| usted | quiera | no quiera |
| nosotros | queramos | no queramos |
| vosotros | quered | no queráis |
| ustedes | quieran | no quieran |

These exist but they're rare. You don't usually tell someone to want something.

## What querer does

*Four ways you'll see it*

| Spanish | Means |
| --- | --- |
| quiero un café | I want a coffee: *querer* + a thing |
| quiero ir | I want to go: *querer* + infinitive, when it's you who'll do it |
| quiero que vengas | I want you to come: *querer que* + subjunctive, when it's someone else |
| te quiero | I love you: *querer* + a person |

**Querer decir** means "to mean": *¿qué quiere decir esto?* (what does this mean?).

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## Questions

### What is the difference between te quiero and te amo?

Both mean "I love you". *Te quiero* is the everyday one, for a partner, family or close friends. *Te amo* is stronger and mostly for a partner, and you'll hear it more in Latin America than in Spain.

### What is the preterite of querer?

*Quise, quisiste, quiso, quisimos, quisisteis, quisieron*, on the stem *quis-*, no accents. It often means "tried to" (*quise ayudar*, I tried to help), and with *no*, "refused" (*no quiso comer*, she wouldn't eat).

### What does quisiera mean?

"I'd like". It's the imperfect subjunctive of *querer*, and it's the most polite way to ask for something: *quisiera reservar una habitación* (I'd like to book a room). *Quería* and *querría* do the same job, just a bit more casually.

### Why does querré have two r's?

The future and conditional drop the *e*, so *querer* becomes *querr-* before the endings: *querré, querría*. You roll the double *r*, and that's how you tell *querría* (I'd want) from *quería* (I wanted).

### What is the subjunctive of querer?

Present: *quiera, quieras, quiera, queramos, queráis, quieran*. Imperfect: *quisiera, quisieras, quisiera, quisiéramos, quisierais, quisieran*. The one you'll hear most is *como quieras* (whatever you like).

## Related

- [poder conjugation](https://learnwithkin.com/spanish/conjugations/poder.md)
- [tener conjugation](https://learnwithkin.com/spanish/conjugations/tener.md)
- [Spanish verb conjugations](https://learnwithkin.com/spanish/conjugations.md)

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