Querer in Future

In English, we just stick "will" in front of "want." In Portuguese, we change the ending of the verb itself. The future tense (Futuro do Indicativo) is built directly on the verb's infinitive form. For querer, you keep the whole word intact. You don't chop anything off like you do in the present tense. You just glue a specific ending onto the end of querer. This tense is used to describe things that are certain or planned for a later time. It expresses a state of desire that has not happened yet but will exist. You might use it when writing a professional email or a journal entry. It sounds more definitive than saying "I might want." It is the language of intent and future reality. Yes, even native speakers find the simplicity of this tense refreshing. It is one of the few places where Portuguese grammar stops trying to trick you.

1. 1Forming this tense is as easy as making a sandwich. You just need the right ingredients in the right order.
2. 2Start with the full infinitive verb: querer.
3. 3Do not remove the -er ending.
4. 4Add the following personal endings based on the subject:
5. 5For eu (I): add -ei → quererei
6. 6For tu (you, informal): add -ás → quererás
7. 7For você/ele/ela (you/he/she): add -á → quererá
8. 8For nós (we): add -emos → quereremos
9. 9For vocês/eles/elas (you all/they): add -ão → quererão
10. 10Notice that almost all endings (except nós) have an accent mark. These accents are not optional decorations. They tell you to stress the very end of the word. If you miss the accent on quererá, you might sound like you are speaking a different language. Think of the accent like a neon sign pointing at the future.

• Long-term goals: Use it for big life changes. "In five years, I quererei a house by the beach."
• Formal promises: Use it in business or official contexts. "The company quererá your feedback next month."
• Speculation about others: Guessing what someone else will feel later. "She is tired now, but she quererá to go out later."
• Formal writing: It is very common in books, news reports, and academic essays.
• Clarity in sequences: Use it to distinguish a future desire from a current one.
• Setting a vision: Ideal for job interviews when discussing your five-year plan.
• Expressing resolve: It sounds stronger and more formal than the "going to" version.

• Ordering food: Don't say quererei um café. You will sound like a time traveler from 1850.
• Casual plans with friends: Use the periphrastic future (vou querer) instead. It is much more natural.
• Polite requests: For "I would like," use the conditional quereria or gostaria. Quererei is too direct.
• If-clauses: When you say "If I want," use the future subjunctive quiser, not quererei.
• Immediate future: If it's happening in five minutes, stick to the present or ir + infinitive.
• Expressing doubt: If you aren't sure, use devo querer (I must want).

• Dropping the 'r': Some learners try to say querê-ei. Always keep the full querer sound.
• Forgetting accents: Writing querera instead of quererá changes the rhythm of your speech.
• Confusing with quiser: This is the biggest trap. Quiser is for "If I want." Quererei is for "I will want."
• Overusing it in speech: If you use it at a party, people might think you're reciting poetry.
• Mixing up -ão and -am: Remember that -ão is always for the future. -am is for the past.
• Pronunciation: Forgetting to stress the last syllable. In the future tense, the tail of the word wags the dog.

• Quererei vs. Vou querer: Quererei is "I will want" (formal/written). Vou querer is "I'm going to want" (spoken/casual). Both mean the same thing, but the vibe is different.
• Quererei vs. Queria: Queria is often used for "I wanted" or a polite "I'd like." Quererei is strictly about the future.
• Quererei vs. Quereria: Quereria is "I would want" (conditional). It depends on something else happening. Quererei is a bold statement of future fact.
• Quererei vs. Quiser: Think of quiser as the "maybe" future (subjunctive) and quererei as the "will" future (indicative).