Querer
to want / to love (someone)
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | quero | Eu quero mais tempo e menos pressa. — I want more time and less rush. |
| você/ele/ela | quer | Ela quer o que poucos têm coragem de pedir. — She wants what few have the courage to ask for. |
| nós | queremos | Nós queremos o mesmo mas por caminhos diferentes. — We want the same thing but by different paths. |
| eles/elas | querem | Eles querem mais do que têm — e trabalham para isso. — They want more than they have — and work for it. |
I want simple things that, added together, form a beautiful life. My friend wants what seems impossible — and usually manages. We want each other in ways we don't know how to name. What we want changes with time — and that is a sign we've grown.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | quis | Eu quis desistir e não desisti — foi a melhor escolha. — I wanted to give up and didn't — it was the best choice. |
| você/ele/ela | quis | Ela quis tentar mesmo sem garantias. — She wanted to try even without guarantees. |
| nós | quisemos | Nós quisemos mudar e mudamos — simples assim. — We wanted to change and changed — simple as that. |
| eles/elas | quiseram | Eles quiseram a parceria e fizeram acontecer. — They wanted the partnership and made it happen. |
The decision was made with a full heart. I wanted to change careers and didn't look back. My friend wanted to live alone for the first time at thirty-two — and flourished. We wanted to build something together and built it. Those who wanted with conviction were the ones who went furthest.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | queria | Eu queria ser astronauta aos oito anos — planos mudam. — I used to want to be an astronaut at eight — plans change. |
| você/ele/ela | queria | Ela queria paz mais do que qualquer outra coisa. — She used to want peace more than anything else. |
| nós | queríamos | Nós queríamos o mesmo sem saber que o outro também queria. — We used to want the same thing without knowing the other wanted it too. |
| eles/elas | queriam | Eles queriam mais mas aceitavam o que havia. — They used to want more but accepted what there was. |
At five, I used to want to be all professions at the same time. I used to want to stay up late like the adults — and now I go to bed early gladly. My mum used to want the best for me before I knew what was best. We used to want to grow up quickly — and now want the opposite.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou querer | Vou querer mais dessa liberdade depois que provar. — I'm going to want more of this freedom once I taste it. |
| você/ele/ela | vai querer | Ela vai querer repetir quando provar. — She's going to want more when she tries it. |
| nós | vamos querer | Vamos querer sempre mais — é a natureza humana. — We're going to always want more — it's human nature. |
| eles/elas | vão querer | Eles vão querer entrar quando virem o resultado. — They're going to want in when they see the result. |
The dream project is on the table. I'm going to want this forever — it's the right size. My partner is going to want the terms revised before signing — fair. We're going to want to look back one day and say it was worth it. Those who are going to want to be part of it need to come forward by Friday.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | quererei | Quererei sempre o bem de quem amo. — I will always want the best for those I love. |
| você/ele/ela | quererá | Ela quererá mais quando entender o que é possível. — She will want more when she understands what is possible. |
| nós | quereremos | Quereremos coisas diferentes daqui a dez anos. — We will want different things ten years from now. |
| eles/elas | quererão | Eles quererão fazer parte disso quando souberem. — They will want to be part of this when they find out. |
The manifesto was published: Participants will want to know more after this session. We will want to build a more equal future — and that is our commitment. Young people will want to be heard — and they will be. I will always want the best for each person who passes through this programme.
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | quereria | Eu quereria mais tempo com quem amo — sempre. — I would want more time with those I love — always. |
| você/ele/ela | quereria | Ela quereria que o mundo fosse mais justo — e trabalha para isso. — She would want the world to be fairer — and works for it. |
| nós | quereríamos | Quereríamos mais se soubéssemos o quanto é possível. — We would want more if we knew how much is possible. |
| eles/elas | quereriam | Eles quereriam mais apoio para avançar mais rápido. — They would want more support to advance faster. |
If fear didn't exist, I would want everything at once. My friend would want to say what he feels if he knew it would be received well. We would want more true things if the system rewarded authenticity. People would want more from each other if they knew how much they resemble each other.
Querer across the tenses
A short story using querer in multiple tenses
Minha avó queria pouco e era rica. Queria a família reunida, a mesa posta, o sol pela janela. Nós queríamos o que ela tinha sem entender que ela tinha escolhido ter menos para ter mais.
Hoje eu quero o que ela me ensinou a querer. Ontem quis parar tudo e fiquei — às vezes a vontade certa é a de continuar. Quisemos tantas coisas que já não queremos, e queremos agora o que antes não víamos.
No próximo ano, vou querer menos e melhor. Se conseguir, quererei com mais presença — sem a ansiedade do próximo.
Perguntei a ela o que mais quereria se pudesse ter uma coisa. Ela respondeu sem hesitar: Quereria que vocês soubessem o quanto são amados. Era o único que ela ainda queria dar — e já tinha dado sempre.
My grandmother used to want little and was rich. She used to want the family together, the table laid, the sun through the window. We used to want what she had without understanding that she had chosen to have less to have more. Today I want what she taught me to want. Yesterday I wanted to stop everything and stayed — sometimes the right will is to continue. We have wanted so many things we no longer want, and now want what we couldn't see before. Next year, I'm going to want less and better. If I manage it, I will want with more presence — without the anxiety of the next thing. I asked her what she would most want if she could have one thing. She answered without hesitating: I would want you to know how loved you are. It was the only one she still wanted to give — and had always given.
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