What if?

When using querer in the preterite tense, it often implies "tried" or "refused", as you mentioned. To express that you wanted something in the past without implying that you tried or refused to do something, you need to use the imperfect tense instead.

For example, if you say "Ayer quise manzanas, pero hoy no", it can be interpreted as "Yesterday, I tried to get apples, but today I don’t want them". To avoid this unintended meaning, you would use the imperfect tense: "Ayer quería manzanas, pero hoy no". This more closely translates to "Yesterday, I wanted apples, but today I don’t", and it doesn't imply any action of trying or refusal. The imperfect tense emphasizes a continuous or habitual desire in the past without any extra meaning related to taking action.

So, to sum up, if you want to express a simple desire in the past without implying "tried" or "refused", it's best to use quería (the imperfect tense) instead of quise (the preterite).