Don’t Say Yo Quiero: 5 Alternatives You Can Use For Yo Quiero Spanish + Example Dialogues

If you want to sound like a native Spanish speaker, please don’t just say “¡yo quiero!” (I want!)

Yeah, it does the job, but if you really want to blend in and speak Spanish at a high level, better use the following 5 alternatives instead for yo quiero Spanish! 

A) Order food with yo quiero Spanish

1. Para mí (For me)

Para mí (For me). 

This alternative, and the next one, are appropriate to order in a restaurant. But for now, let’s check a few more examples:

• Para mí, un café con leche, por favor. [For me, a latte, please.]
• Para mí, lo más importante es la familia. [For me, family is the most important thing.]
• ¿Qué hay de postre? Para mí, el flan. [What’s for dessert? For me, the flan.]

2. Yo voy a querer (I would like)

If you are with more people at a restaurant, to sound more natural, you can add “yo” before “voy a querer” (I would like). 

Yo voy a querer. Yo voy a querer es un chunk de español. (I am going to want. I’m going to want, is a chunk of Spanish.)

In real-life scenarios:

• Yo voy a querer la ensalada César con pollo. [I would like the chicken Caesar salad.]
• Para la cena, yo voy a querer algo ligero. [For dinner, I would like something light.]
• Yo voy a querer más tiempo para terminar el proyecto. [I would like more time to finish the project.]

Word combinations or phrases that don’t change and that are commonly used by native speakers. 

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B) Express a wish with yo quiero Spanish

Now, let’s say you’re just talking about something you’d like to have or an aspiration you have.

3. A mi me gustaría  (I would like to)

I would like… or I would like it if…

I would like.

A mi me gustaría. (I would like to.)

A few more examples:

• A mí me gustaría viajar por Europa el próximo verano. [I would like to travel through Europe next summer.]
• A mí me gustaría aprender a tocar el piano. [I would like to learn to play the piano.]
• A mí me gustaría que nos reuniéramos más a menudo. [I would like us to meet more often.]

4. Yo quisiera (I would like to)

I would want, yeah, something like that. “Yo quisiera”. 

Ok so, this phrase also comes from the verb to want, like in “yo quiero”, but the verb is conjugated in a different tense. 

“Yo quiero” is present tense, and “yo quisiera” is past imperfect. 

But fear not, you don’t have to learn that!

Another example. In this one, “I would like” sounds much more polite than saying “I want”.

In other real-life scenarios, this could sound like:

• Yo quisiera hacer una reservación para esta noche. [I would like to make a reservation for tonight.]
• Yo quisiera hablar con el gerente, por favor. [I would like to speak with the manager, please.]
• Yo quisiera que me explicaras esto con más detalle. [I would like you to explain this to me in more detail.]

5. Me encantaría (I would love to)

I would love to or I would love it if. 

Check these Spanish sentences, too:

• Me encantaría probar la comida típica de tu país. [I would love to try the typical food of your country.]
• Me encantaría conocer a tu familia algún día. [I would love to meet your family someday.]
• Me encantaría poder ayudarte con tu mudanza. [I would love to be able to help you with your move.]

C) Other alternatives for yo quiero Spanish

These are 5 of the most common alternatives for yo quiero in Spanish, but of course, there are more ways to express that you want something.

Formal alternatives

Informal alternatives

Conditional alternatives

These alternatives can be both formal and informal based on the context.

D) Test time to practice yo quiero

We’re going to do an exercise really quickly, and you can follow it in the video to practice along.

We’re in a restaurant. 

If you said something like: “Para mí, una hamburguesa”. O “Yo voy a querer una hamburguesa”. (“For me, a burger.” Or “I’m going to want a burger.”) 

Si dijiste: “Quisiera ir a París”. O “A mí me gustaría ir a París”. (If you said: “I’d like to go to Paris.”)

You’re right!