ele não quis

he didn't want to

→ ele

phrase Rare #20,805

he didn't want to Uses the past tense of querer (quis) to express that he refused or did not want to do something. It is followed by an infinitive verb or, as in the first and third examples, a related action or object.

PO: Ele não quis responder à pergunta.

EN: He didn't want to answer the question.

Ele não quis.

He didn't want to.

— Um Dia de Fúria (1993)

Mas ele não quis me ouvir.

But he wouldn't listen to me.

— A Voz do Silêncio (2016)

Ele não quis nem saber da gente.

He didn't even want to know about us.

— A Empregada (2025)

Eu estava tentando dizer-lhe isso, mas ele não quis me ouvir.

I was trying to tell him that, but he didn't want to listen to me.

Ela pediu para ele ficar mas ele não quis.

She asked him to stay, but he didn't want to.

Mais tarde, quando se sentia melhor, ele não quis falar.

Later, when he felt better, he didn't want to talk.

— Anatomia de uma Queda (2023)

Ele não quis responder à minha pergunta.

He didn't want to answer my question.

Ele não quis me bater.

He didn't mean to hit me.

Infelizmente ele não quis me deixar vê-la.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't let me see her.

— Psicose (1960)

Ele não quis citar nomes.

He didn't want to name names.

Quer nos dizer que ele não quis nada.

Does that mean he didn't want anything?

— Noites de Cabíria (1957)

Ele não quis sair de casa hoje.

He didn't want to leave the house today.

Mas ele não quis escutar os seus japoneses.

But he didn’t want to listen to his Japanese ones.

— O Sacrifício (1986)

Ele não quis me ouvir.

He didn't want to listen to me.

— Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)

Como ele não quis ir, fui sozinha.

Since he didn't want to go, I went alone.