gana

desire

noun GAH-nah Less Common

Also means

appetite

Usage Note

Gana is almost always used in the plural ganas: tener ganas de means 'to feel like' or 'to want to' (tengo ganas de comer = 'I feel like eating'). The singular gana appears in set phrases like de buena/mala gana ('willingly/unwillingly'). No me da la gana ('I don't feel like it / I don't want to') is a blunt, colloquial refusal.

Examples

"Tengo muchas ganas de verte pronto."

Natural Translation

I really want to see you soon.

Literal Translation

To-me there-are many desires of seeing-you soon.

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