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STOP saying “Yo quiero” in Spanish (and what to say instead)

By Lucia Published:

7 min video

“Yo quiero” is useful, but repeating it in every situation can make your Spanish sound limited. Lucía explores other ways to express what you want in Spanish.

Watch the lesson

Try it yourself

Listen for each alternative in the video. Choose two and use them in sentences about something you want to do this week. Say the sentences aloud, then check the video again for pronunciation.

Watch the original lesson on YouTube.

Edited lesson transcript and examples

Follow the full lesson in order below. The English explanations are edited from the video’s published captions; the Spanish examples have been checked against the original video’s on-screen text, with the available automatic track used for comparison. Punctuation and caption errors are repaired for reading. Example translations and labelled learner notes are additions, separate from Lucía’s explanation. The original quiz questions and answers are included. Music is omitted.

0:00 — Eight ways to express what you want

Yo quiero una cerveza.
Example translation: I want a beer.
Opening request the lesson encourages you to vary.

Yo quiero un helado de turrón.
Example translation: I want some nougat-flavored ice cream.
Opening request.

Yo quiero una tapa de croquetas.
Example translation: I want a tapa of croquettes.
Opening request.

Stop saying “Yo quiero.” Keep watching to hear why.

I’ll show you how fixing this can dramatically improve how you communicate in Spanish.

And take the quiz at the end to make sure you’ve mastered this essential skill.

First, “yo quiero,” in general, doesn’t sound very natural because in Spanish we usually omit the pronouns.

So if you’re going to use “yo quiero” it will sound more natural if you just say “quiero.”

But still, “quiero” or “yo quiero” sounds demanding.

Like: “I want this. Give it to me.”

And we don’t want to sound like that, right?

Learner note — Keep the request recommendation: The lesson encourages you to vary your wording and soften requests. Quiero and yo quiero are grammatical ways to express a wish; they are not automatically rude. In a request, tone, context and por favor affect how direct they sound. Spanish commonly leaves out a subject pronoun when the person is clear; an explicit yo can also identify, contrast or emphasize the speaker. Source: RAE reference.

So I will teach you eight different ways to say the same thing, but sounding more respectful and natural, the way a Spanish speaker would say it.

0:49 — 1. Querría

One.

First, just changing the verb tense will make a big difference.

“Quiero” is conjugated in the present indicative of the verb “querer”, to want.

Let’s change it to the conditional tense.

It sounds a little bit more indirect, more respectful.

querría
Example translation: I would like
Alternative 1: the conditional of querer.

Querría una cerveza, por favor.
Example translation: I would like a beer, please.
Original request.

Yo querría una tapa de gambas al ajillo, gracias.
Example translation: I would like a tapa of garlic prawns, thank you.
Yo identifies this person’s order at the table.

What? Did you use “yo”?

Yes.

In a context in which we are in a bar or restaurant with more people at the same table, you use “yo” to emphasize it’s you who will have that drink or dish and not another person at the table.

So in this context in which each one orders their own food or drink, it’s normal to say “yo.” We can also use “querría” in different situations.

Querría pasarme por el supermercado un momento.
Example translation: I would like to stop by the supermarket for a moment.
Original example outside a restaurant.

1:46 — 2. Quisiera

Two.

Let’s change it now to the imperfect subjunctive.

yo quisiera
Example translation: I would like
Alternative 2: quisiera is the imperfect subjunctive form used for a courteous wish.

This sounds even more polite, as it is more indirect than the others.

Learner note — Courtesy and verb forms: Querría and quisiera can both express a courteous present wish. Quisiera is grammatically an imperfect subjunctive form, but this use need not refer to the past. The lesson’s preference for an indirect request is preserved; there is no automatic politeness ranking for every speaker, region and tone. Querría has double r; quería is a different form, which can also be used courteously. Source: RAE reference, RAE reference.

Quisiera un zumo de piña, por favor.
Example translation: I would like a pineapple juice, please.
Por favor means please; the original on-screen English thank you is corrected here.

Quisiera un montadito de lomo, por favor.
Example translation: I would like a small pork-loin sandwich, please.
Original request.

Quisiera hablar con un abogado.
Example translation: I would like to speak with a lawyer.
Original example.

Quisiera no verle la cara nunca más.
Example translation: I would like never to see his or her face again; or your face, when addressing usted.
Le needs context to identify the person; it does not by itself mean informal your.

2:19 — 3. Voy a tomar

Three.

Another expression to order at a bar or restaurant.

(Yo) voy a tomar…
Example translation: I’m going to have…
Alternative 3, for ordering food or a drink.

Pues voy a tomar una copa de vino tinto y una tapa de ensaladilla.
Example translation: Well, I’m going to have a glass of red wine and a tapa of potato salad.
Original order.

Yo voy a tomar una caña y una tapa de calamares fritos.
Example translation: I’m going to have a small glass of draught beer and a tapa of fried squid.
Original order; caña is the small draught beer served in Spain.

One more and I’ll tell you two very very easy ways to order at a bar you really need to know.

2:50 — 4. ¿Me pone…?

Four.

Let’s keep ordering some food now with:

“Can I have?” Literally: “Can you put it for me on the table?” “Can you give me?”

¿Me pone…?
Example translation: Could you get me…?
Alternative 4, addressing usted in this ordering context.

¿Me pone dos refrescos de limón y una ración de calamares fritos? Gracias.
Example translation: Could you get me two lemon soft drinks and a portion of fried squid? Thank you.
Original order.

¿Me pone un tinto de verano, una tapa de croquetas veganas y otra de espinacas con garbanzos?
Example translation: Could you get me a red-wine-and-soda drink, a tapa of vegan croquettes and another of spinach with chickpeas?
Original order.

3:17 — The free study guide

If you’re a little lost with Spanish grammar, I really recommend you download our free Study Guide, which will guide you step by step while you learn Spanish on your own.

You have the link in the description.

3:27 — 5. Para mí

Cinco.

An easy one.

para mí…
Example translation: for me…
Alternative 5, followed by the drink or dish.

“For me.”

We say this plus the drink or dish you would like.

Para mí un café con leche.
Example translation: A coffee with milk for me.
Original order.

Para mí un zumo de naranja, por favor.
Example translation: An orange juice for me, please.
Original order.

Stay tuned to hear what I would use to express what I want to do.

But first, the easiest one for ordering.

3:51 — 6. A drink or dish + por favor

Six.

“A ___, please.” Un for masculine nouns and una for feminine nouns.

Un ___, por favor. / Una ___, por favor.
Example translation: A ___, please.
Alternative 6: name what you would like and add por favor.

Learner note — Un and una: Normally use un with a masculine singular noun and una with a feminine singular noun. Before a feminine noun beginning with stressed /a/, such as agua, un agua is usual; the noun remains feminine. This is a general language note, not an additional spoken example from the video. Source: RAE reference.

No verbs, no anything. Easy!

Una cerveza, por favor.
Example translation: A beer, please.
Original request.

4:11 — 7. Me gustaría

Now learn these to express what you would like to do.

Stay with me because right after we’ll do a fantastic quiz to digest what we learned today.

Seven.

me gustaría…
Example translation: I would like…
Alternative 7.

“I would like.”

Me gustaría pasar un fin de semana en la playa.
Example translation: I would like to spend a weekend at the beach.
Original example.

Me gustaría tomar una Coca-Cola Zero.
Example translation: I would like to have a Coke Zero.
Original example.

Me gustaría comer patatas fritas todos los días.
Example translation: I would like to eat fries every day.
Original example.

4:41 — 8. Me apetece

Eight.

“I feel like,” “I fancy,” “I would like to have.”

me apetece…
Example translation: I feel like… / I fancy…
Alternative 8.

This is an expression you would use with friends.

Me apetece un sándwich de queso.
Example translation: I feel like a cheese sandwich.
Original example.

Me apetece dar un paseo por el campo.
Example translation: I feel like going for a walk in the countryside.
Original example.

5:04 — The original four-question quiz

Quiz time!

Try to answer these questions.

It will help a lot to memorize what we learned today.

Four questions.

One.

Video quiz 1: Order an orange juice by putting querer in another verb tense.

Show the video’s answer

Querría or quisiera — Querría un zumo de naranja. / Quisiera un zumo de naranja.
Example translation: I would like an orange juice.
The video accepts either of the two courteous forms introduced in the lesson.

Two.

Video quiz 2: How do you say “I would like to sleep” in Spanish?

Show the video’s answer

Me gustaría dormir or me apetece dormir — Me gustaría dormir. / Me apetece dormir.
Example translation: I would like to sleep. / I feel like sleeping.
The video accepts both. The second expression is closer to feel like sleeping; neither answer specifies sleeping late.

If you said either of those two, you are totally correct.

Two more questions.

Three.

Video quiz 3: How do you say “I’m going to have paella” when ordering in Spanish?

Show the video’s answer

Voy a tomar paella — Voy a tomar paella.
Example translation: I’m going to have paella.
Tomar can be used for what you choose to eat or drink in this ordering context.

Four!

Video quiz 4: How would you ask for a beer in the easiest way?

Show the video’s answer

Una cerveza, por favor — Una cerveza, por favor.
Example translation: A beer, please.
This uses the lesson’s short request with the feminine noun cerveza.

Learner note — Reading the quiz: These answers keep the video’s four prompts and intended choices. Me gustaría dormir and me apetece dormir express slightly different shades of wanting to sleep, and the video accepts both. The prompt means sleep, not specifically sleep late. The requests and food vocabulary are particularly useful in the lesson’s Spain-oriented setting.

6:22 — The next conversation lesson

Now you know how to express what you want in Spanish but how do you think you would do in a casual conversation?

What will you talk about at the table after ordering? I’m going to teach you the most common Spanish phrases that we use in everyday conversations. Become more confident in Spanish after watching this video.

Want to use this in real conversations?In the Spanish Accelerator, a coach corrects you live, every week, until speaking feels natural.
See how it works