Wanting and intending
What does someone want or plan to do?
Significado
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.
Como identificar
Look for a wish, plan, willingness, or refusal, rather than just a statement that an event will happen.
Na tua língua materna
Querer expresses a wish or desire and can be followed by a noun or an infinitive, the verb form used to name an action. Querer que introduces a desired situation with a verb in the subjunctive (subjuntivo), a form used here for something wanted rather than asserted as fact. Pretender and estar pensando em followed by an infinitive express plans or intentions.
Quero aprender a fazer pão.
Quero que vocês fiquem para o jantar.
Fiquem is the subjunctive form for the action the speaker wants.
Estou pensando em trocar de celular.
The phrase presents a possible plan, not a settled decision.
Na tua língua de aprendizagem
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.
Learners whose language marks an intended action with an ending may leave out the separate word to after want or plan. Learners whose language uses one verb for both wishing and enjoying may confuse would like with like.