want to

[/wɑːnt tu/ or /wɑːnt ə/]
verb phrase
querer
1. to have a desire or wish to do something
I want to go to the beach this weekend.
Eu quero ir à praia neste fim de semana.
2. to express intention or willingness to perform an action
Do you want to join us for dinner?
Você quer se juntar a nós para jantar?
3. to feel a need or lack of something
She wants to have more free time.
Ela quer ter mais tempo livre.
In Brazilian Portuguese, 'querer' is the primary way to express desire or intention and is used across all social contexts. The English contraction 'wanna' is widely understood in American English but considered informal. In Portugal, 'gostar de' (to like) is sometimes preferred over 'querer' (to want) when expressing preferences. In both cultures, 'want to' is a fundamental modal expression used daily in conversations about intentions, desires, and social invitations.
NYC Slang
wanna (colloquial contraction)
Synonyms / Sinônimos
wish todesire towould like tofeel likeintend to
Antonyms / Antônimos
refuse todecline toavoid

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
querer
Most common and standard usage throughout Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
querer / tá a fim de
Colloquial alternative using 'tá a fim de' for casual contexts
São Paulo
querer
Standard formal usage, may use 'tá afim' colloquially
Portugal
querer / gostar de
Portuguese uses 'gostar de' more frequently in some contexts; 'querer' is also acceptable

Related Words

needdesirewishintentionwillingnesspreference

Related Idioms & Phrases

want it all
want the best of both worlds
you can't want for anything
if you want my opinion
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