Breakdown of El abogado aseguró que su cliente no quería cometer el crimen.
no
no, not
su
his/her/its/their/your (formal)
querer
to want
que
that / than
Questions & Answers about El abogado aseguró que su cliente no quería cometer el crimen.
Why is quería in the imperfect tense here?
This is a classic case of reported speech. The lawyer's original statement was likely in the present tense: My client does not want to... (Mi cliente no quiere...). Because the reporting verb aseguró (claimed) is in the past, that original present tense verb shifts back a step into the imperfect tense (quería).
Why is aseguró translated as claimed instead of assured?
While asegurar translates literally to assure or to secure, in journalistic and legal contexts it is commonly used to mean to claim, to assert, or to maintain. The lawyer is firmly stating his client's lack of intent as a fact.
Why isn't cometer conjugated?
When a verb directly follows a conjugated verb and they share the same subject (the client), the second verb stays in the infinitive form. This perfectly mirrors the English translation: didn't want (no quería) to commit (cometer).
Is crimen used for any type of broken law?
Not usually. In Spanish, crimen is a strong word typically reserved for very serious or violent felonies, like murder. If the lawyer were defending a lesser charge like petty theft or fraud, they would more likely use the word delito.