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Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "wish" in Spanish?
desear
In Spanish, "wish" is desear.
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Pronunciation
The trick with 'desear' is to tap the single r lightly with the tip of your tongue while making sure stress naturally falls on the last syllable.
Grammar notes
desear is a verb used the same way as its English equivalent.
Example sentence
Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños.
I wish you a happy birthday.
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How to remember desear
Connect 'desear' with I wish you a happy birthday by inventing a tiny story where the sentence 'Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños.' actually happens to you.
Related words
- run correr
- walk caminar
- jump saltar
- climb escalar
- crawl gatear
- swim nadar
- fall caer
- eat comer
- chew masticar
Browse all Spanish words in the glossary.
Questions about desear
How do you pronounce desear?
The trick with 'desear' is to tap the single r lightly with the tip of your tongue while making sure stress naturally falls on the last syllable.
Is desear formal or casual?
desear is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is desear used in Spanish?
desear is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: Te deseo un feliz cumpleaños. (I wish you a happy birthday.).
Where can I practice Spanish words for free?
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"Wish" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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