Hoy quiero merendar sandía con mis amigos.

Today I want to have watermelon as a snack with my friends.

Breakdown of Hoy quiero merendar sandía con mis amigos.

• yo: I
• querer: to want
• con: with
• hoy: today
• mis: my
• merendar: to have as a snack
• la sandía: the watermelon

Questions & Answers about Hoy quiero merendar sandía con mis amigos.

What does merendar mean exactly, and why is it used instead of just saying comer (to eat)?

In Spain, merendar specifically refers to a light snack or meal that is usually eaten in the late afternoon or early evening—often between lunch (la comida) and dinner (la cena). It’s not simply comer (which means “to eat” in a general sense), but rather a context-specific meal somewhat similar to “afternoon tea” or a “snack” in English.

When do I use quiero versus something like me gustaría or quisiera?

All three forms indicate a desire, but with slightly different nuances:
• Quiero: A straightforward “I want,” quite direct and commonly used in casual speech.
• Me gustaría / Quisiera: Both are a bit more polite and softer in tone, comparable to “I would like.” In some contexts, they can sound more courteous or formal than quiero.

Why is hoy placed at the very beginning of the sentence?

Spanish offers flexibility in word order, but beginning with hoy (meaning “today”) emphasizes the time frame right away. It’s a common way to set the context before stating what you want to do. You could technically say Quiero merendar sandía con mis amigos hoy, but it sounds a little less natural in everyday conversation.

Do I always need the article before sandía (for example, la sandía) or is it correct to say it without the article here?

In this context, you’re talking about eating watermelon in general, not one specific watermelon, so no article is needed. If you were referring to a particular watermelon, you could say la sandía (“the watermelon”), but here it’s simply the type of snack you want to have.

Can I use tener ganas de instead of querer in this sentence?

Yes! You could say Hoy tengo ganas de merendar sandía con mis amigos, which translates to “Today I feel like having watermelon as a snack with my friends.” It carries a similar meaning to quiero, but sounds a bit more casual, conveying that you are “in the mood” for it.