Expressing Desire in Spanish || Querer & Desear

Q: What difference between querer and desear ?

Querer is more commonly used in everyday speech and can express both desire and affection. Desear is more formal and often stronger, used for deeper or more polite wishes.

Q: How to conjugate querer in the present tense?

Querer is an irregular verb. For example: yo quiero , tú quieres , él quiere , nosotros queremos , ellos quieren .

Q: Can querer be followed by a noun or a verb?

Yes , you can say quiero un coche (I want a car) or quiero viajar (I want to travel).

Q: Is desear common in everyday conversation?

Not really. Desear is more common in written Spanish, formal settings, or when expressing polite wishes, like Le deseo un buen día (I wish you a good day).

Q: How do I express a soft or polite desire?

You can use the conditional form of querer or gustaría to sound more polite: Quisiera un café (I would like a coffee), Me gustaría viajar (I would like to travel).

Q: Do you provide Spanish classes?

Yes, we do! You can learn Spanish online on our teaching platform, Flexi Classes . Study in group classes, individual classes or both, the curriculum includes all levels, and classes are available 24/7. Start with a 7 days free trial today!

Home A2 Expressing desire in Spanish

WISH & WANT IN SPANISH

In Spanish, wishes, wants, desires, and hopes are expressed through desiderative phrases. Through the use of these phrases, the speaker patently manifests the wish or intention that the content of the message be fulfilled.

Let’s see how to use those words.

QUERER & DESEAR

In Spanish, two of the most frequently used verbs to express desire are:

Querer (to want), conveys a solid decision of an immediate and/or specific want or need. It is direct and casual and widely used in more informal contexts.

Desear (to wish) conveys a desire to possess or be gratified with a more or less immediate desire and is more formal and polite in use, often reserved for written communication or polite wishes.

Both verbs, querer and desear, can be used to express:

specific wishes or desires (objects, actions, scenarios)
hypothetical desires and therefore requiring the subjunctive mood, expressing wishes about another’s actions or a possible third party scenario.

PATTERN

Querer / Desear + noun / infinitive / que + subjunctive

To indicate the object of desire:

Quiero un trozo de pan.	I want a piece of bread.
Desearía un momento para pensar.	I’d like a moment to think.
Quiero una bebida fría.	I want a cold drink.

View More Examples:

Deseo un coche nuevo.	I wish for a new car.
Quiero esa camisa.	I want that shirt.
Deseo unas vacaciones.	I wish for vacations.

To indicate the desired action:

Quiero comer contigo.	I want to eat with you.
Deseo viajar a Francia.	I wish to travel to France.
Quiero comer pronto.	I want to eat early.

View More Examples:

Deseo vivir tranquilamente.	I wish to live with tranquility.
Quiero compartir mi piso.	I want to share my flat.
Deseo tener un compañero de piso.	I wish to have a flatmate.

Actions involving different subjects:

Quiero que vengas a mi fiesta.	I want you to come to my party.
Deseo que todo te vaya bien.	I wish that all goes well for you.
Quiero que pruebes este plato.	I want you to try this dish.

View More Examples:

Deseo que llegue el verano pronto.	I wish for summer to arrive soon.
Quiero que hables de esto con tu profesor.	I want you to talk about this with your professor.
Deseo que tengas suerte.	I wish that you have luck.

ESPERAR & OLAJÁ

In Spanish, other verbs and expressions, such as esperar (to hope) and ojalá (hopefully) are used to express hopes, expectations, and wishes.

Esperar, when used in the context of a desiderative phrase is akin to the English verbs “to hope” or “to expect” and conveys hopes or expectations about the future.

PATTERN

Esperar + infinitive / que subjunctive

Espero ver a mi hermana mañana.	I hope to see my sister tomorrow.
No espero ganar la carrera.	I do not expect to win the race.
Espero ver el partido en la tele.	I hope to watch the game on the television.
Espero que no lleguen tarde.	I hope they are not late.
No espero que vengan a cenar.	I don’t expect them to come to dinner.
Espero que os guste.	I hope you like it.

View More Examples:

Espero entregar esto pronto.	I hope to submit this soon.
Espero llegar a la hora.	I hope to arrive on time.
No espero salir temprano de trabajar hoy.	I don’t expect to leave work early today.
Espero que ella se encuentre mejor.	I hope that she feels better.
No espero que me entiendan.	I do not expect them to understand me.
Espero que todo se arregle.	I hope that everything is sorted out.

Ojalá (hopefully) originates from the Arabic phrase “in shā’ Allāh”, which means “if God wills” or “God willing”. In Spanish, ojalá expresses wishes and possibilities.

PATTERN

Ojalá + present / imperfect subjunctive

Ojalá te vaya bien.	Hopefully all goes well for you.
Ojalá nieve esta Navidad.	Hopefully it snows this Christmas.
Ojalá veamos la película esta noche.	Hopefully we watch the movie this evening.
Ojalá pudiera tener ese coche.	I wish I could have that car.
Ojalá no estuviera tan lejos.	I wish it wouldn’t be so far away.
Ojalá viviera en otro país.	I wish I lived in a different country.

View More Examples:

Ojalá no perdamos.	Hopefully we don’t lose.
Ojalá le guste el regalo.	Hopefully he/she likes the gift.
Ojalá no me equivoque.	Hopefully I am not mistaken.
Ojalá pudiera ir a la fiesta.	I wish I could go to the party.
Ojalá fueran más amables.	I wish they were nicer.
Ojalá pudiéramos comer juntos.	I wish we could eat together.

Learn Spanish with FlexiClasses

Book online classes with the best teachers in the industry.

FAQs

What difference between querer and desear?

Querer is more commonly used in everyday speech and can express both desire and affection.

Desear is more formal and often stronger, used for deeper or more polite wishes.

How to conjugate querer in the present tense?

Querer is an irregular verb.

For example: yo quiero, tú quieres, él quiere, nosotros queremos, ellos quieren.

Can querer be followed by a noun or a verb?

Yes, you can say quiero un coche (I want a car) or quiero viajar (I want to travel).

Is desear common in everyday conversation?

Not really.

Desear is more common in written Spanish, formal settings, or when expressing polite wishes, like Le deseo un buen día (I wish you a good day).

How do I express a soft or polite desire?

You can use the conditional form of querer or gustaría to sound more polite: Quisiera un café (I would like a coffee), Me gustaría viajar (I would like to travel).

Do you provide Spanish classes?

Yes, we do!

You can learn Spanish online on our teaching platform, Flexi Classes.

Study in group classes, individual classes or both, the curriculum includes all levels, and classes are available 24/7.

Start with a 7 days free trial today!

Spanish Grammar Bank

WISH & WANT IN SPANISH

QUERER & DESEAR

PATTERN

ESPERAR & OLAJÁ

PATTERN

PATTERN

Learn Spanish with FlexiClasses

FAQs

MORE FREE LESSONS

Negatives in Spanish

Imperative form in Spanish

Conditional tense in Spanish

Adverbs in Spanish

Comparatives & superlatives in Spanish

Measure words in Spanish

Quantities & measurements in Spanish

Expressing desire in Spanish

And in Spanish

But in Spanish

Because in Spanish

Also in Spanish

Together in Spanish

Just / only in Spanish

Almost in Spanish