querías

Querías is the second-person singular imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb querer. It expresses a past desire or a habitual state of wanting, typically when addressing someone as tú. The imperfect form conveys ongoing or repeated action in the past, not a single completed event; a matching preterite form such as quisiste would be used for a specific, finished act of wanting in a narrative.

Etymology: Querer derives from Latin quaerere, meaning to seek, ask for, or desire. Through Old Spanish and the evolution of Romance languages, the meaning narrowed to “to want” or “to love.” The form querías, like other imperfect endings, reflects this historical development.

Usage and examples: Querías is common in questions and statements about past preferences or intentions. Examples: ¿Qué querías hacer ayer? What did you want to do yesterday? ¿Qué querías de mí? What did you want from me? When talking about past habits: Cuando era niño, querías ser astronauta. Note that the accent on the i in querías indicates the stressed syllable; without the accent, the spelling would be incorrect or the pronunciation could be altered in standard Spanish.

Related forms: The corresponding imperfect forms in the tú-person are querías; for other persons the forms are quería (él/ella/usted), queríamos, queríais, querían. The verb’s meaning and tense are often clarified by context, pronouns, or accompanying adverbs of time.