Phrase · 🫂 Difficult conversations
No quisiera parecer desagradecida, pero esto no es lo que pedí.
I don't want to seem ungrateful, but this isn't what I ordered.
C2complaining tactfullyAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
No1adverbnotquisiera1verbI would wantquerer · subjunctive · imperfect · 1st sing.parecer2verbto seeminfinitivedesagradecida2adjectiveungratefuldesagradecido · fem. · sing.,peroconjunctionbutestopronounthisestenoadverbnotesverbisser · present · 3rd sing.lo3determinerwhat (lit. the)el · definiteque3pronoun(that)pedí3verbI orderedpedir · past · 1st sing..
- quisiera → parecer: querer + infinitive
- parecer → desagradecida: parecer + adjective
- lo → que: lo que: what
- desagradecida → quisiera: desagradecida: the (female) speaker
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1quisiera (imperfect subjunctive) softens: no quisiera parecer… = I wouldn't want to seem… It prepares a complaint. Imperfect subjunctive: forms and uses →
- 2desagradecida agrees with the speaker, a woman. Parecer + adjective = to seem. Describing nouns: adjective agreement and modifiers →
- 3lo que pedí = what I ordered: pedir covers ordering food or goods as well as asking for. Relative clauses I: que, quien, donde, lo que →
Variations
- No quisiera parecer desagradecido, pero esto no es lo que pedí.
- No quiero sonar desagradecida, pero esto no es lo que pedí.
- Perdone, pero creo que esto no es lo que pedí.