Querer Conjugation in Portuguese
querer means “to want” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 11 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It expresses wishes, wants and polite requests, and it is the verb behind invitations and offers. It can take a noun or an infinitive, and its pretérito perfeito is irregular — quis, quiseste, quis — while the present is regular apart from the ele form quer. This page gives you the complete conjugation of querer — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Eu quero um café todos os dias.” — “I want a coffee.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: querer
- English: to want
- Verb type: Irregular -er verb
- Irregular in: pretérito perfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo
- Gerund: querendo
- Present participle: querente
- Past participle: querido
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -er verbs; pattern er in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for querer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read querer in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about querer
- It is irregular in 7 tense(s): pretérito perfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo. Learn those forms as a set instead of guessing them from the infinitive, because the stem changes in ways no rule predicts.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle querido. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is querendo, the present participle is querente and the past participle is querido: keep all three in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions, the present participle appears as an adjective, and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those three forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for querer. Learn the present tense first, then the pretérito perfeito and the pretérito imperfeito, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | quero |
| tu | queres |
| ele/ela | quer |
| nós | queremos |
| vós | quereis |
| eles/elas | querem |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu quero um café todos os dias.” — “I want a coffee”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | quis |
| tu | quiseste |
| ele/ela | quis |
| nós | quisemos |
| vós | quisestes |
| eles/elas | quiseram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu quis um café ontem.” — “I wanted a coffee”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | queria |
| tu | querias |
| ele/ela | queria |
| nós | queríamos |
| vós | queríeis |
| eles/elas | queriam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu queria um café antigamente.” — “I used to want a coffee”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | quisera |
| tu | quiseras |
| ele/ela | quisera |
| nós | quiséramos |
| vós | quiséreis |
| eles/elas | quiseram |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples is used for an action completed before another past action; in everyday speech the compound form with tinha is more common. For example: “Eu quisera um café antes do jantar.” — “I had wanted a coffee”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | quererei |
| tu | quererás |
| ele/ela | quererá |
| nós | quereremos |
| vós | querereis |
| eles/elas | quererão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu quererei um café amanhã.” — “I will want a coffee”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | quereria |
| tu | quererias |
| ele/ela | quereria |
| nós | quereríamos |
| vós | quereríeis |
| eles/elas | quereriam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu quereria um café um dia.” — “I would want a coffee”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho querido |
| tu | tens querido |
| ele/ela | tem querido |
| nós | temos querido |
| vós | tendes querido |
| eles/elas | têm querido |
The pretérito perfeito composto is used for actions that started in the past and continue, or have been repeated, up to the present. For example: “Ele tem querido um café esta semana.” — “He has wanted a coffee”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha querido |
| tu | tinhas querido |
| ele/ela | tinha querido |
| nós | tínhamos querido |
| vós | tínheis querido |
| eles/elas | tinham querido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha querido um café antes do jantar.” — “I had wanted a coffee”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei querido |
| tu | terás querido |
| ele/ela | terá querido |
| nós | teremos querido |
| vós | tereis querido |
| eles/elas | terão querido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei querido um café até amanhã.” — “I will have wanted a coffee”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria querido |
| tu | terias querido |
| ele/ela | teria querido |
| nós | teríamos querido |
| vós | teríeis querido |
| eles/elas | teriam querido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria querido um café ontem.” — “I would have wanted a coffee”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | queira |
| tu | queiras |
| ele/ela | queira |
| nós | queiramos |
| vós | queirais |
| eles/elas | queiram |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu queira um café.” — “It is important that I want a coffee”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | quisesse |
| tu | quisesses |
| ele/ela | quisesse |
| nós | quiséssemos |
| vós | quisésseis |
| eles/elas | quisessem |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after que, and in se-clauses. For example: “Era importante que eu quisesse um café.” — “It was important that I want a coffee”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | quiser |
| tu | quiseres |
| ele/ela | quiser |
| nós | quisermos |
| vós | quiserdes |
| eles/elas | quiserem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu quiser um café, é bom.” — “If I want a coffee, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | quer |
| ele/ela | queira |
| nós | queiramos |
| vós | querei |
| eles/elas | queiram |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Quer um café!” — “Want a coffee!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não queiras |
| ele/ela | não queira |
| nós | não queiramos |
| vós | não queirais |
| eles/elas | não queiram |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não queiras um café.” — “Do not want a coffee.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha querido |
| tu | tenhas querido |
| ele/ela | tenha querido |
| nós | tenhamos querido |
| vós | tenhais querido |
| eles/elas | tenham querido |
The presente do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a subordinate clause expressing doubt, wish or emotion. For example: “É importante que eu tenha querido um café.” — “It is important that I have wanted a coffee”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse querido |
| tu | tivesses querido |
| ele/ela | tivesse querido |
| nós | tivéssemos querido |
| vós | tivésseis querido |
| eles/elas | tivessem querido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse querido um café.” — “It was important that I had wanted a coffee”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver querido |
| tu | tiveres querido |
| ele/ela | tiver querido |
| nós | tivermos querido |
| vós | tiverdes querido |
| eles/elas | tiverem querido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver querido um café, é bom.” — “If I have wanted a coffee, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | querendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Querendo um café, aprendo muito.” — “While wanting a coffee, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | querente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle querente is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective. You will meet querente more often as an adjective or a noun than as a verb form, so learn it as a word in its own right.
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | querido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho querido um café esta semana.” — “I have wanted a coffee.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with querer, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu quero um café todos os dias.” — “I want a coffee”
- “Tu quiseste um café ontem.” — “You wanted a coffee”
- “Ele queria um café antigamente.” — “He used to want a coffee”
- “Eu quererei um café amanhã.” — “I will want a coffee”
- “Tu quererias um café um dia.” — “You would want a coffee”
- “Ele tem querido um café esta semana.” — “He has wanted a coffee”
- “Eu tinha querido um café antes do jantar.” — “I had wanted a coffee”
- “Tu terás querido um café até amanhã.” — “You will have wanted a coffee”
- “É importante que eu queira um café.” — “It is important that I want a coffee”
- “Quer um café!” — “Want a coffee!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu querer um café.”
✓ Right: “Eu quero um café todos os dias.”
The infinitive querer never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form quero.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu queres um café.”
✓ Right: “Eu quero um café todos os dias.”
queres is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with quero.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu quero um café ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu quis um café ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito quis for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou querido um café.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho querido um café esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of querer is formed with ter plus the past participle querido: the eu form is tenho querido. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “É importante que eu quero um café.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu queira um café.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use queira here, not the indicative quero.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho querendo um café.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho querido um café esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle querido, not the gerund querendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on querer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of querer in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) queres
- B) quero
- C) quer
- D) queremos
What is the ele/ela form of querer in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) quiseste
- B) quisemos
- C) quis
- D) quisestes
What is the nós form of querer in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) queria
- B) querias
- C) queríeis
- D) queríamos
What is the tu form of querer in the Futuro do presente?
- A) quererás
- B) quererei
- C) quererá
- D) quereremos
What is the eu form of querer in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) quererias
- B) quereria
- C) quereríamos
- D) quereríeis
What is the ele/ela form of querer in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho querido
- B) tens querido
- C) tem querido
- D) temos querido
What is the ele/ela form of querer in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) queiras
- B) queiramos
- C) queirais
- D) queira
What is the eu form of querer in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) quisesse
- B) quisesses
- C) quiséssemos
- D) quisésseis
What is the gerund of querer?
- A) querido
- B) querendo
- C) querer
- D) quero
What does querer mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to want
- D) —
Answer key
- B) quero — the correct form is quero. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) quis — the correct form is quis. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) queríamos — the correct form is queríamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) quererás — the correct form is quererás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) quereria — the correct form is quereria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem querido — the correct form is tem querido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) queira — the correct form is queira. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) quisesse — the correct form is quisesse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) querendo — the correct form is querendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to want — the correct form is to want. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does querer mean in English?
querer means “to want”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is querer regular or irregular?
querer is irregular: it is irregular in pretérito perfeito, pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples, presente do subjuntivo, pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo, futuro do subjuntivo, imperativo afirmativo, imperativo negativo. The gerund is querendo and the past participle is querido.
What are the gerund and past participle of querer?
The gerund is querendo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is querido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho querido.
Which auxiliary does querer take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
querer takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho querido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle querido.
How do I say “I want” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu quero um café todos os dias.” — “I want a coffee” The eu form of the present is quero, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of querer — every tense of querer in one place.
- Querer in the pretérito perfeito tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Querer examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese pretérito perfeito tense guide — the full guide to the pretérito perfeito tense in Portuguese.
- Portuguese irregular verbs — every common irregular Portuguese verb, grouped by pattern.
- Ser conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Ter conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise querer with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise querer with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise querer with the interactive tool.