querer

Senses

1. 1.

   to want

   to desire or wish for something

2. 2.

   to mean

   to intend to express or communicate

3. 3.

   to be willing

   to be ready or agreeable to do something

4. 4.

   to require

   to need or demand as necessary

Examples

• "Eu quero um café, por favor."

  I want a coffee, please.

• "O que você quer dizer com isso?"

  What do you mean by that?

• "Ela não quis ir à festa ontem."

  She didn't want to go to the party yesterday.

Usage

One of the most common Portuguese verbs. In colloquial speech, "querer dizer" (to mean) is often shortened to just "querer." The conditional "quisera" is archaic/poetic. Note the irregular conjugation in the present tense (quero, quer, querem).