Quisiera or Me gustaría ?

Question

I seem to get a funny reaction when I use quisiera rather than me gustaria. Is there something subtle i'm missing?

For example: Me gustaría (o quisiera) reservar una mesa para cuatras personas.

Answer 1

'Me gustaría' is mostly used when you are expressing something that you would like to do.

For example : Me gustaría ir al cine. I would like to go to the movies.

'Quisiera' is used mostly when giving some sort of polite command or indirect order or even asking for permission. As in your example, 'Quisiera reservar una mesa...' You are expressing what you wish to be done for you, in other words, you are somehow giving a command. As opposed to Me gustaría ir al cine where you are simply expressing a wish or desire.

Nice :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 21, 2011

Good!! - xicotillo, Dec 21, 2011

Answer 2

I think it's cuatro personas, even though the personas are feminine. Pehaps that's why you get the funny looks? I stadn to be demolished by my superiors, as usual. As for teh reseving: why not just say; Quiero hacer una reservacion de.. Simple, but it works and you get no funny looks at all, or, not that I had noticed. LOL.

Sorry about the yypos, it's not the wine, I'm obliged to use a previously discarded keyboard, it''s terribly overexcited. - annierats, Dec 21, 2011

you are quite right about the cuatro personas annie, well done :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 21, 2011

I'm voting for your persistence in answering even with that mal keyboard. - katydew, Dec 21, 2011

Answer 3

In your example it is more natural to use quisiera, or just quiero if you don't have to be overly polite.

I think gustarme is used more to say that you like something, so it's a little wierd to say it in this context.

As always, I stand to be corrected by people who really know Spanish.

Jeremias He didn't say gustarme but: me gustaría - FELIZ77, Dec 21, 2011

Answer 4

From what I've learned, quisiera would mean:

I wish to reserve...

While me gustaría:

I would like to reserve...

I wish to reserve would simply be: ''Quiero reservar'' Quisiera is conditional indicative and can also be translated as:'' I would like...'' Implying: if you would be be kind enough to respond ... - FELIZ77, Dec 21, 2011

Answer 5

Hello Bob_C and welcome to the SpanishDict forum

Yes, Annie put her finger on the reason you are getting/receiving a strange reaction:

You should be saying cuatro personas. The number does not have to agree in gender and number with the noun personas. CuatrAS personas is not correct!

I prefer to use: ''Me gustaría reservar una mesa para cuatro personas'' rather than using quisiera but both would be understood in this context. I personally believe that gustaría is more polite. I have used this phrase above to reserve a table for two people in Barcelona even this year and have not received any strange looks.

If you wish to ask for a table so you can eat immediately/straight away you would not need to use the word reservar = to book/reserve

You could simly say: ''Me gustaría una mesa para cuatro personas (por favor)''

I hope this helps

Corrijan mi español, por favor