Quiero una cuenta corriente.

I want a checking account.

Breakdown of Quiero una cuenta corriente.

• querer: to want
• una: a, an
• la cuenta corriente: the checking account

Questions & Answers about Quiero una cuenta corriente.

What does quiero mean, and why is it used here?

Quiero means I want. It comes from the verb querer.

• querer = to want
• quiero = I want

In this sentence, Quiero una cuenta corriente means I want a checking account.

In everyday Spanish, quiero is very common and natural, but in some service situations it can sound a little direct in English terms. Spanish speakers still use it often, though many learners also like softer alternatives such as:

• Quisiera una cuenta corriente. = I would like a checking account.
• Me gustaría abrir una cuenta corriente. = I would like to open a checking account.

Why is it una cuenta corriente and not just cuenta corriente?

Spanish often uses an article where English may or may not.

Here, una means a:

• una cuenta corriente = a checking account

If you say only cuenta corriente, it may sound incomplete in this context. At a bank, if you are stating what you want, Quiero una cuenta corriente sounds natural.

Also, cuenta is a feminine noun, so it uses una, not un.

Why is cuenta feminine?