Solo quiero una rebanada de pan con queso.

I only want a slice of bread with cheese.

Breakdown of Solo quiero una rebanada de pan con queso.

• yo: I
• querer: to want
• una: a
• el pan: the bread

Questions & Answers about Solo quiero una rebanada de pan con queso.

Why is solo used here, and does it need an accent?

Here solo means only / just.

In modern standard Spanish, it is normally written solo, without an accent. You may still see sólo in older materials or when someone wants to avoid ambiguity, but the usual current spelling is solo.

So Solo quiero... = I only want... / I just want...

Why doesn’t the sentence say yo quiero?

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed.

Quiero already tells you the subject is I, because it is the first person singular form of querer.

So:

• Quiero una rebanada... = I want a slice...
• Yo quiero una rebanada... = also correct, but yo adds emphasis, contrast, or clarity

You would use yo if you want to stress I, for example:

• Yo quiero una rebanada, no él.

Why is quiero used? Isn’t that a bit direct?