박희섭(Heesob Park)
What is the meaning of "bem quisera"? Here are sentences from O PRINCIPEZINHO - Por favor... cativa-me disse ela. - Bem quisera, disse o principezinho, mas eu não tenho muito tempo. Tenho amigos a descobrir e muitas coisas a conhecer. I cannot understand why "quisera" is used instead of "quero".
Mar 27, 2015 7:49 AM
Answers · 7
4
Bem quisera = I wish (I could)
March 27, 2015
3
Hello Heesob! The main use of the tense 'Pretérito mais-que-perfeito' (pluperfect) is to talk about a previous past event to another also passed. BUT this tense has other uses. And a really popular use of the 'Pretérito mais-que-perfeito' is to express a wish, a hope or ambition of achieving something (as Murillo said). So it's very common you hear expressions that use 'Quisera' and 'Quem dera' expressing a wish. Examples: - Quem me dera estar no lugar do Paulo! (I wish I were in place of Paulo) - Meu filho, bem quisera eu que tu estudasses mais! (My son, how I wish you studied more) That's is why 'quisera' (pluperfect) was used in your example instead of conditional. The translation could be: - Bem quisera, disse o principezinho, mas eu não tenho muito tempo. (I wish, said the little prince, but I do not have much time)
March 27, 2015
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