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Today we are going to practice three very useful Spanish verbs: To need (“necesitar”), To want (“querer”) and To prefer (“preferir”).

Answers to all tasks involved in this lesson will be given at the end of the post and you can also follow a link with this post to watch the original theory video lesson on the same topic.

To go back and watch the original video lesson please follow this link:

Useful Spanish verbs: To need, To want, To prefer

1. First, let´s practice conjugating these three Spanish verbs in the Present Tense. I will say a verb and a person (yo, tú, él, ella, usted, nosotros, vosotros, ustedes, or ellos) and I would like you to conjugate the verb in the correct way for the Present Tense. For example: Necesitar – Ellos: Necesitan:

– Preferir (yo)
– Querer (ellos)
– Necesitar (él)
– Querer (tú)
– Preferir (nosotros)
– Necesitar (vosotros)
– Preferir (ella)
– Querer (nosotros)
– Necesitar (yo)
– Preferir (ustedes)

2. Next, I will use these three Spanish verbs already conjugated in the Spanish Present Tense and I would like you to tell me what they mean in English. For example: “Queremos” means “We want”. Keep in mind that some of them could mean more than one thing:

– Necesitas
– Quieren
– Prefiero
– Preferís
– Necesitamos
– Queréis
– Necesita
– Preferimos
– Quiero
– Necesitan

3. Let´s see now if you understand these Spanish sentences:

– ¿Necesitas algo?
– No, gracias. No necesito nada.
– ¿Queréis ir al cine?
– No, preferimos ir al teatro.
– María y Antonio quieren comprar una casa.
– ¿Preferís el té o el café?
– Yo prefiero el té, pero María prefiere el café.
– ¿Necesitas dinero?
– Sí, necesito mucho dinero
– María quiere estudiar en la universidad.

4. Finally, please try to make the following sentences in Spanish:

– Do you want to come with us? (group/friendly)
– Yes, we want to go with you
– Do you need to speak to Ana? (group/formal)
– No, we need to speak to Antonio
– Pedro prefers eating fish to meat.
– Do Ana and Silvia want to dance?
– No, they prefer to talk.
– Does Carmen need anything?
– Yes, she needs a car
– María and Antonio don´t want to go to Madrid.

This is all for today.

I hope this lesson has helped you to memorise these three very useful Spanish verbs. We use them a lot in everyday Spanish conversation and for this reason it is worth practicing with them over and over until you are completely familiar and confident.

See you soon with another Spanish practice lesson.

¡Hasta luego!

I hope you are enjoying my weekly Spanish lessons. Follow this link for many more great resources to help you learn and practice Spanish.

Answers:

1.
– Prefiero
– Quieren
– Necesita
– Quieres
– Preferimos
– Necesitáis
– Prefiere
– Queremos
– Necesito
– Prefieren

2.
– You need (one person/friendly)
– You want (group/formal) / They want
– I prefer
– You prefer (group/friendly)
– We need
– You want (group/friendly)
– You need (one person/formal) / He needs / She needs
– We prefer
– I want
– You need (group/formal) / They need

3.
– Do you need anything? (one person/friendly)
– No, thanks. I don´t need anything.
– Do you want to go to the cinema? (group/friendly)
– No, we prefer to go to the theatre.
– María and Antonio want to buy a house.
– Do you prefer tea or coffee? (group/friendly)
– I prefer tea, but María prefers coffee.
– Do you need money? (one person/friendly)
– Yes, I need a lot of money
– María wants to study in university.

4.
– ¿Queréis venir con nosotros?
– Sí, queremos ir con vosotros.
– ¿Necesitan hablar con Ana?
– No, necesitamos hablar con Antonio.
– Pedro prefiere comer pescado que carne.
-¿Quieren Ana y Silvia bailar?
– No, prefieren hablar.
– ¿Carmen necesita algo?
– Sí, necesita un coche.
– María y Antonio no quieren ir a Madrid.