57.1.4 Desear
Desear, ‘to wish’, is rarely found in spoken informal language. Its use seems to be
restricted to formal contexts, but it is also especially common in certain sub-registers,
for example advertising, shop-assistants’ or waiters’ jargon (see 57.2 below), etc. It is
normally found in constructions similar to those with querer (see 57.1.1 above).Si usted lo desea, podemos reunirnos en nuestra oficina.
If you wish, we can meet in our office.
Deseo expresar a usted mi más profundo pesar.
I want to express to you my deepest sympathy.57.2 Enquiring about desires
To enquire about desires, we normally use the same verbs as above, except hacer
ilusión, which is unusual in interrogative sentences.Informal¿Qué quieres hacer? What do you want to do?
¿Qué te gustaría comer? What would you like to eat?
¿Qué quieres beber? What do you want to drink?
¿Qué te apetece hacer? What do you feel like doing?
¿Tenéis ganas de salir? Do you feel like going out?
Formal¿Cómo quiere la carne?
How do you want the meat?
¿A qué restaurante le gustaría ir?
What restaurant would you like to go to?¿Qué desea hacer usted?
What would you like to do?
¿Qué quería usted?
Can I help you? (e.g. in a shop)¿Qué desea/deseaba usted?
Can I help you? (e.g. in a shop)
¿Qué desean tomar?
What would you like to have?57.3 Expressing preferences and enquiring about preferences
57.3.1 Preferir
The verb most commonly associated with preferences, in positive as well as
interrogative sentences is preferir, ‘to prefer’, a radical-changing verb, like querer (e/ie).
It is normally found in the present tense indicative, but also sometimes in theEXPRESSING DESIRES AND PREFERENCES 57.2