I don't understand why I should say it this way...
 

I have taken notice of things that I say frequently in English so that I can learn them in Spanish. I always say, "Do you want me to ____. " Do you want me to go with you? Do you want me to listen? etc... I think it should be said as "quiere que te vaya contigo?" o "quiere que eschuche" I am confused as to why I would use VAYA. Why not "quiere que te voy contigo? Can anyone explain this to me?

Welcome to the forums.

Your question deals with a certain type of verb - verbs of volition (want, desire, etc.).

"Do you want me to ____?"
=
"¿Quiere/Quieres que yo ____?" (Do you want that I ___?)

"Do you want me to go with you?"
=
"¿Quiere que yo vaya consigo?"
"¿Quieres que yo vaya contigo?"


The conjunction 'que' is inserted when there is a change in subject. This introduces the secondary clause, whose verb will always be conjugated in the subjunctive mood.

This is why you see the subjunctive mood 'vaya' instead of the indicative mood 'voy'.

(There's no reason for the object pronoun 'te' in your sentences.)

Do you want me to go with you? - ¿Quieres que vaya contigo.

Do you want me to listen? - ¿Quieres que escuche?

Do you want me to listen to you? - ¿Quieres que te escuche a ti?

Alway? Siempre después de ¨Que¨ debo conjugar el verbo en el subjuntivo?:thinking:

No siempre después de "que": solo cuando se usa "que" después de cierto verbos o preposiciones de volición (que desean algo o que ordenan algo) o de reacción emocional o que presentan un futuro no realizado o algo hipotetico y no real. En otras situaciones se usa el indicativo.

En el caso presentado en este hilo, el verbo "querer" es un verbo de "volición".

Yo puedo decir: "Quiero ir" = "I want to go". Soy yo la persona que quiere algo, y el resultado que quiero es que voy: no hay cambio de sujeto entre "querer" e "ir".

Lo mismo occurre en la oracion "quieres ir" = "you want to go". Eres tú la persona que quiere algo, y el resultado que quieres es que vas: no hay cambio de sujecto entre "querer" e "ir".

En comparasion, tengo que decir o "quiero que vayas" o "quieres que (yo) vaya", pues que el sujeto de "querer" es distinto del sujeto de "ir", y es obligatorio utilizar una clausula dependentiente que contiene un subjuntivo.

La elección entre el indicativo y el subjuntivo en la cláusula secundaria depende del verbo en la cláusula principal. El que usó la posteadora original ('querer') rige el uso del subjuntivo con tal que haya cambio de sujeto. Si no hay cambio de sujeto, se usa el infinitivo.

Interestingly, a Mexican friend and a Peruvian friend were having dinner at my home and my Mexican friend got up to get something and I asked her, "¿Qué quieres?" Immediately, my Peruvian friend said, "Don't EVER say that!!! Say '¿Qué deseas?'" And she went on to insist that what I said was quite rude. My Mexican friend (who was surprised that the other friend had corrected me like that) told me later that she would never say "deseas" like that because it sounds way too formal. Final conclusion was that, as with many things, the word choice is sometimes regional.

For a Mexican it would depend on the tone. If you don't use a very kind tone when saying "¿qué quieres?" it would definitely be felt as rude.

You can avoid the "over-formality" of saying "¿qué deseas?" by asking (kindly) "¿qué necesitas/buscas?" or "¿quieres/necesitas algo?"