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Quiero aprender japonés.

Quiero aprender japonés.
I want to learn Japanese.

Breakdown of Quiero aprender japonés.

yo
I
aprender
to learn
querer
to want
japonés
Japanese
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Questions & Answers about Quiero aprender japonés.

Why is it “Quiero aprender japonés” and not “Yo quiero aprender japonés”? Is yo missing?

In Spanish, the subject pronoun (yo, tú, él, etc.) is often omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

  • Quiero can only mean “I want” (1st person singular), so yo is not necessary.
  • Yo quiero aprender japonés is also correct; it just puts extra emphasis on “I” — like “I want to learn Japanese (not someone else).”

For a neutral sentence, Quiero aprender japonés is more natural in everyday speech.

How is “quiero” formed? Why isn’t it “quero” or something more regular?

Quiero is the first person singular, present tense of the verb querer (“to want / to love”).

  • Infinitive: querer
  • Stem-changing verb: e → ie in most forms
    • yo quiero
    • tú quieres
    • él / ella / usted quiere
    • nosotros / nosotras queremos (no change)
    • ustedes / ellos / ellas quieren

In Latin America, ustedes quieren is used for “you (plural) want.”
The spelling quero is simply incorrect; the correct stressed form is quiero.

Why is it “quiero + infinitive” (quiero aprender) instead of a conjugated verb like in English?

Spanish often uses “querer + infinitive” to express wanting to do something:

  • Quiero aprender japonés. = “I want to learn Japanese.”

The structure is:

  • querer (conjugated) + infinitive

You do not conjugate both verbs:

  • ✅ Quiero aprender japonés.
  • ❌ Quiero aprendo japonés.
Should there be a preposition like “a”: “Quiero a aprender japonés” or “Quiero aprender a japonés”?

No. In this sentence, adding a is incorrect.

  • The pattern is querer + infinitive + direct object:
    Quiero aprender japonés.

About aprender:

  • aprender algo = to learn something
    • Quiero aprender japonés. (I want to learn Japanese.)
  • aprender a + infinitive = to learn to do something
    • Quiero aprender a leer japonés. (I want to learn to read Japanese.)

But “aprender a japonés” (learn to Japanese) is wrong.

Why is “japonés” not capitalized like “Japanese” in English?

In Spanish:

  • Languages and nationalities are written with lowercase, unless they begin a sentence.

So you write:

  • japonés, inglés, español, francés

Only country names and other proper nouns are capitalized:

  • Japón, Inglaterra, España, Francia
Why does “japonés” have an accent mark, and how do you pronounce it?

Japonés has an accent because of Spanish stress rules:

  • Words ending in -n, -s, or a vowel are normally stressed on the second-to-last syllable.
  • Here, the natural stress without an accent would be on “po”: ja-PO-nes.
  • But we actually stress the last syllable: ja-po-NÉS.

The written accent on é shows that the stress is on -nés: japo–NÉS.

Pronunciation tips (Latin America):

  • j = a strong h sound (like in “hard,” but more in the throat).
  • r in aprender = a single tap, like the flap in American “butter”.
  • z = same sound as s (in most of Latin America): /s/.
  • Stress the last syllable in japonés: ja-po-nés.
Is “japonés” masculine or feminine here? Could I say “japonesa”?

In this sentence, japonés is a masculine singular noun meaning “the Japanese language.”

  • japonés = Japanese (language); also “Japanese” (male person) or adjective
  • japonesa = Japanese (female person) or feminine adjective

So:

  • Quiero aprender japonés. = I want to learn (the) Japanese (language).
  • Conozco a una japonesa. = I know a Japanese woman.

You cannot say “Quiero aprender japonesa” when talking about the language.

Why is there no article? Could I say “Quiero aprender el japonés”?

Both are grammatically possible, but they sound a bit different:

  1. Quiero aprender japonés.

    • Most natural and common way to say “I want to learn Japanese (the language).”
    • With verbs like hablar, saber, aprender
      • language, Spanish often omits the article.

  2. Quiero aprender el japonés.

    • Also correct but sounds more formal or specific, like “I want to learn the Japanese language,” maybe as a field of study, or in contrast with another language.
    • You’d hear this more in careful or academic contexts, or when stressing the language as an object of study.

For everyday speech: Quiero aprender japonés is best.

What’s the difference between “aprender” and “estudiar” here? Could I say “Quiero estudiar japonés”?

Yes, you can say Quiero estudiar japonés, but there’s a nuance:

  • aprender = to learn (to actually gain the skill/knowledge)

    • Quiero aprender japonés.
      • Focuses on the result: you want to end up knowing Japanese.

  • estudiar = to study (to spend time studying)

    • Quiero estudiar japonés.
      • Focuses more on the activity of studying (taking classes, reading, etc.).

In practice, both are common and often interchangeable, but aprender highlights the goal of actually learning the language.

Is “Quiero aprender japonés” polite, or does it sound too strong in Spanish?

In this context (talking about your own plans), Quiero aprender japonés is completely normal and neutral. It doesn’t sound rude.

The “too strong” issue with quiero mainly appears when asking others for things:

  • Quiero un café. can sound a bit direct, like “I want a coffee.”
  • Softer options:
    • Quisiera un café.
    • Me gustaría un café.

But for your own wishes:

  • Quiero aprender japonés. = perfectly fine.
  • Me gustaría aprender japonés. = “I would like to learn Japanese,” a bit more tentative or dreamy.
What’s the difference between “Quiero aprender japonés” and “Estoy aprendiendo japonés”?

They talk about different times:

  • Quiero aprender japonés.

    • You want to learn it, but you may or may not have started yet.
    • It expresses a desire/intention.

  • Estoy aprendiendo japonés.

    • You are currently learning it — you’ve started (taking classes, using apps, etc.).
    • It describes an ongoing action.

You can even say both:

  • Quiero aprender japonés, por eso estoy aprendiendo japonés.
    “I want to learn Japanese, so I’m learning Japanese.”
Can I change the word order, like “Aprender japonés quiero” or “Japonés quiero aprender”?

Standard, neutral word order is:

  • (Yo) quiero aprender japonés.

Spanish allows some flexibility for emphasis, but you must be careful:

  • Japonés quiero aprender, no chino.
    • Possible in context, with contrast and emphasis: “Japanese I want to learn, not Chinese.”
  • Aprender japonés quiero sounds very unusual and mostly poetic or stylized, not normal conversation.

For everyday speech, keep:

  • Quiero aprender japonés.
How do I conjugate “querer” with other subjects in Latin American Spanish?

In Latin American Spanish, you usually use ustedes for “you (plural).” Here’s the present indicative:

  • yo quiero – I want
  • tú quieres – you (singular, informal) want
  • él / ella quiere – he / she wants
  • usted quiere – you (singular, formal) want
  • nosotros / nosotras queremos – we want
  • ustedes quieren – you (plural) want
  • ellos / ellas quieren – they want

Example with your sentence:

  • Queremos aprender japonés. – We want to learn Japanese.
  • Ellos quieren aprender japonés. – They want to learn Japanese.
Does “querer” ever mean “to love”? Does that change the meaning here?

Yes, querer can also mean “to love” or “to be fond of”, but usually with people or pets, and it normally takes “a” before the object:

  • Quiero a mi familia. – I love my family.
  • Quiero mucho a mi perro. – I really love my dog.

In Quiero aprender japonés, that meaning does not apply because:

  • The structure is querer + infinitive (want to do something), not querer a + noun.
  • So it only means “I want to learn Japanese,” not “I love to learn Japanese.”
If I want to sound more like “I would like to learn Japanese” (softer, more hypothetical), how can I change the sentence?

Two very natural softer options in Latin American Spanish are:

  1. Me gustaría aprender japonés.

    • Direct equivalent of “I would like to learn Japanese.”
    • Uses me gustaría (conditional of gustar).

  2. Quisiera aprender japonés.

    • Also means “I would like to learn Japanese.”
    • Uses the imperfect subjunctive of querer in a polite, soft way.

Both are very common and sound more tentative or polite than Quiero aprender japonés, which is more straightforward.