Quiero pasar tiempo con mi familia.

I want to spend time with my family.

Breakdown of Quiero pasar tiempo con mi familia.

• yo: I
• con: with
• mi: my
• la familia: the family
• querer: to want
• el tiempo: the time
• pasar: to spend

Questions & Answers about Quiero pasar tiempo con mi familia.

Is it necessary to say “Yo quiero” instead of just “Quiero”?

Spanish verb conjugations usually make the subject clear, so Quiero is a complete sentence without needing yo. Adding yo can add emphasis (like saying “I really want…”), but it’s not required.

Why is it “pasar tiempo” and not “pasar el tiempo”?

In Spanish, when you talk about spending time doing something or with someone, you can often use pasar tiempo without the definite article el. You might see pasar el tiempo in contexts like “pass the time,” but to express “spend time,” pasar tiempo is more direct and common.

Can I use “quisiera” instead of “quiero”?

Yes, quisiera is a more polite or conditional form, similar to “I would like.” You might use quisiera when asking for something politely (for instance, in a restaurant), while quiero sounds more direct: “I want.”

Why do we say “con mi familia” instead of using another preposition?

In Spanish, to express “with someone,” the correct preposition is con. Any time you want to indicate being or doing something together with another person or group, you’ll use con. Thus, “with my family” is con mi familia.

Should I treat “mi familia” as singular or plural?

In Spanish, mi familia is treated as a single collective noun. You’d typically use a singular verb form if you were referring to the family as a unit (e.g., Mi familia es muy unida, “My family is very close”). If you want to talk about individual members, you’d specify them (e.g., Mis padres or Mis hermanos).