Comments on: I want an ocean view

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I would like to know why we use the preterito imperfecto "quisiera" and not the "condicional"

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borja80

heres a link to the same discussion in a previous lesson

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Muchas gracias

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Hola,

I have a grammatical question for the sentence " Es que quiero una con vistas al mar". Can I say "Es que quiero una vista con al mar? And the difference? Thanks for your explanation in advance.

Mafy

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Mafy, "una vista con al mar" would mean something like "a view with at the sea" since "al" means "a el" ("at the"). Thus, this doesn't really work. (There are only very few cases where two prepositions ("con" and "a" in this case) are next to each other, and this is none of them.) You will probably be understood if you say "una vista con el mar" ("a view with the sea") although native Spanish speakers probably wouldn't talk this way.

Google hits for "vistas al mar": 3.080.000

Google hits for "vistas con el mar": 134

Google hits for "vistas con al mar": 4

Google hits for "vista al mar": 971.000

Google hits for "vista con el mar": 578

Google hits for "vista con al mar": 2

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Muchisimas gracias, (only the most respective phrase I can use by now), Martinillo. As I am a new learner of Spanish, the way I have studied is memorizing as possible or analyzing systematically, like you showed me the ropes as aforementioned. Thanks!!!

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Una vez tuve que pedir que me cambiaran de habitación porque en oler a fumar.

re quisiera cambiar de habitacion- shouldn't it be "quisiero cambiar de habitacion" since it is yo quisiero - I would like?

gracias

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there is no such word as "quisiero". I got it confused with quiero. sorry

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Tienen la misma ruiz, verda?

I believe quiero is present indicative 1st singular of querer, and quisiera is the imperfect subjunctive. So we're dealing with the same root word.

I take it that putting it in the subjuntive form is what makes it polite ... expressing the possibility that you might help me, rather than the more harsh "I want."

Since usted (formal) is the same in the subjunctive, a waiter can also say "quisiera agua" for would you like water, or I can say "quisiera agua" for I would like water.

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No ewong it's quisiera, imperfect subjunctive.

quisiera es:

1ª persona singular (yo) imperfecto(1) subjuntivo

3ª persona singular (él/ella/usted) imperfecto(1) subjuntivo

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beadman

sí verdad. "would like" is the usual translation although it's slightly misleading. I would say that quisiera = were to want rather than "would like" which maps to "gustaría".

quisiera proposes a hypothetical notion and this "implies" a conditional result

were I to want water you could sell me some
were sir to want water i would sell him some

so you effectively ask a question without actually requesting anything which avoids any obligation or imposition. nobody is commited to anything, one can ignore the "suggestion" with impunity or maintain that hey, it was just an idea, should things turn nasty.

the other day, I even used it for its primary purpose, instead of as a polite request, when i was translating a song into spanish and came across the line

if you wanted the sky i would write across the sky in letters that would soar 1000 ft high "to sir with love". (sorry i watch glee)

which, i believe, would be rendered something like

si quisiera usted el cielo, yo escribiría a través del cielo...

"if you wanted" isnt referring to a past event/state (quiso/quería) but a hypothetical one. its the imperfect subjunctive of "to want" in english i.e. Quisiera