Present of querer and poder
Querer (to want) and poder (can, may) are two of the most useful verbs. Quero un café. (I want a coffee.) Podes vir? (Can you come?)
How It Works
The forms
- eu quero / podo
- ti queres / podes
- el, ela, vostede quere / pode
- nós queremos / podemos
- vós queredes / podedes
- eles, elas, vostedes queren / poden
The stem keeps a simple e or o in every form. Galician does not add an i or a u as Spanish does, so it is quero and podo. When stressed, that vowel is open: quero sounds like "KEH-ro" with the e of English "bed", and podo has the open o of British "hot".
Plus an infinitive. No preposition comes between the two verbs: Quero durmir. (I want to sleep.), Podemos ir mañá. (We can go tomorrow.) The negative goes before the first verb: Non podo ir. (I cannot go.)
Poder: can and may. Poder expresses possibility and permission: Pode pasar. (You may come in.) For a skill you have learned, Galician normally uses saber: Sei nadar. (I can swim.) See saber vs coñecer.
Querer: want and love. With a thing or an action, querer means "to want". With a person, it means "to love": Quérote moito. (I love you very much.)
Being polite. In shops and cafés, Quería un café (I would like a coffee) sounds softer than Quero un café. See the polite imperfect.
Examples (6)
- Quero un café, por favor.
I want a coffee, please.
- Podes vir mañá?
Can you come tomorrow?
Word by Word: You-can come tomorrow?
- Queremos aprender galego.
We want to learn Galician.
The infinitive follows querer directly, with no preposition.
- Hoxe non podo ir.
I cannot go today.
Word by Word: Today not I-can go.
- Pode pasar.
You may come in. (formal)
Word by Word: You-can pass.
Pode is the vostede form, here giving permission.
- Quérote moito.
I love you very much.
Word by Word: I-want-you much.
With a person, querer means "to love". The pronoun goes after the verb.
Common Mistakes
Using the Spanish stem quier-.
Quiero un café.Quero un café.Galician never adds an i to this verb: quero, queres, quere.
Using the Spanish stem pued-.
Puedo pagar con tarxeta?Podo pagar con tarxeta?Galician keeps the plain o in every form: podo, podes, pode.
Using the Spanish vós ending -éis.
Queréis vir á festa?Queredes vir á festa?The Galician vós ending for -er verbs is -edes: queredes, podedes.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Querer and poder use present forms followed by an infinitive action.
Related Patterns
- saber / coñecerSaber vs. Coñecer
Saber, not poder, is used for skills such as swimming or driving.
Level 2 - Polite Imperfect
Quería and podía make requests softer.
Level 4 - querer que + SubjunctiveWanting Someone to Do Something
How to say you want someone else to do something.
Level 3 - Preterite of poder, querer and saber
The past tense forms puiden and quixen.
Level 2 - nonNegation with Non
Negation goes before the first verb: Non podo ir.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
- acabar de + InfinitiveJust Done: Acabar DeLevel 2
- estar a + InfinitiveAction in Progress: Estar a + InfinitiveLevel 2
- haber de + InfinitiveLevel 2
- ir + InfinitiveGoing to: Ir + InfinitiveLevel 2
- para for Purpose and DestinationLevel 2
- ter que + InfinitiveHaving to: Ter QueLevel 2
- antes de / despois de + InfinitiveBefore and After + InfinitiveLevel 3
- comezar a / poñerse aStarting ActionsLevel 3
And 7 more in the full list.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Present of querer and poder in Bubblegum
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