Breakdown of Hola, quería una barra de pan.
de
of
un
a, an, some
el pan
the bread
querer
to want; to love (a person)
Questions & Answers about Hola, quería una barra de pan.
Why is the imperfect tense quería used here if the person wants the bread right now?
Could I use the conditional querría or me gustaría instead?
You can, but it sounds a bit overly formal for a bakery. Quería hits the perfect sweet spot for everyday politeness. Me gustaría is better when talking about hypothetical desires, like me gustaría viajar a Japón (I would like to travel to Japan).
Does barra literally mean baguette?
Literally, barra means a bar or rod. In Spain, the standard loaf of bread is shaped like a French baguette, so a barra de pan is the everyday phrase to ask for a standard stick of bread.