Wanting and intending
What does someone want or plan to do?
Meaning
Wanting and intending show what someone wishes for or plans to do. A wish need not become a plan, and a plan need not lead to action. Some languages have special verb forms for wishes or intentions; others use ordinary words and context. Past, present and future tells us when an event happens, not whether someone wants it to happen.
How to spot it
Look for a wish, plan, willingness, or refusal, rather than just a statement that an event will happen.
In your native language
English uses want to for a desired action and plan to or intend to for a plan. Would like to expresses a wish more gently, while be going to can express an existing intention. These expressions take the verb's base form, such as stay rather than stays; want and would like can also take a noun naming the thing wanted.
I want to stay home tonight.
Want to expresses a desired action.
I would like to sit by the window.
Would like to expresses the wish more gently than want to.
We are going to paint the kitchen this weekend.
Here, are going to expresses an existing plan.
In your learning language
Spanish uses querer with a noun for something wanted, or with an infinitive, the verb's dictionary form, when the person wants to act themselves. When someone wants another person to act, querer que normally takes the subjunctive (subjuntivo), which presents the action as desired rather than factual. Pensar with an infinitive expresses a plan, and ir a with an infinitive can express an intention, although it also has other future uses.
Quiero preparar la cena.
I want to make dinner.
The same person wants and prepares, so querer is followed by an infinitive.
Quiero que me ayudes con las bolsas.
I want you to help me with the bags.
The desired action has a different subject, so ayudes is in the subjunctive.
Pienso quedarme en casa este fin de semana.
I plan to stay home this weekend.
Pensar with an infinitive expresses an intention, not an opinion.
Learners whose language uses the same verb form after wanting regardless of who acts may miss the difference between quiero ayudar and quiero que me ayudes. They may use *Quiero que vienes instead of Quiero que vengas.