Spanish Lesson Intermediate 4 How to use Presente de Subjuntivo when expressing hopes and wishes Posted by Laura & Adam on Sep 1, 2010 in Spanish Grammar, Spanish Vocabulary, Videos
¡Hola a todos!
En lecciones anteriores hemos visto la forma del Presente de Subjuntivo. Hoy vamos a explicar uno de los usos de este tiempo.
In previous lessons we have seen the form of the Presente de Subjuntivo. Today, we are going to analyse one of the uses of this tense. We use the presente de subjuntivo when expressing hopes and wishes. We use it when the person refered to in the sentence is not the same person as the one who is hoping.
For example:
VERBO ESPERAR
Esperar que + subjuntivo: To hope that
Espero que ganes mucho dinero: I hope you win a lot of money
Espero ganar mucho dinero: I hope I win a lot of money
VERBO QUERER
Querer que + subjuntivo: To want that
Quiero que ganes mucho dinero: I want you to win a lot of money
Quiero ganar mucho dinero: I want to win a lot of money
VERBO DESEAR
Desear que + subjuntivo: To desire/wish that
Deseo que ganes mucho dinero: I desire that you win a lot of money
Deseo ganar mucho dinero: I desire to win a lot of money
OJALÁ
Ojalá (que)+ subjuntive: I hope/wish
Ojala (que) ganes mucho dinero: I hope you win a lot of money
Ojalá (que) gane mucho dinero: I hope I win a lot of money
QUE + SUBJUNTIVO
Que te mejores: I hope you get better
Que cumplas muchos más: I wish you many happy returns
Que lo pases bien: I hope you have a good time
Que tengas suerte: I wish you good luck
Que aproveche: I hope you enjoy your meal
Que todo salga bien: I hope everything goes well
Que tengas buen viaje: I hope you have a good trip
Que duermas bien: I hope you sleep well
Que te vaya bien: I wish you all the best
Que te sea leve: I hope it’s not too bad
Que seáis muy felices: I hope you are very happy
Que te diviertas: I hope you have fun
It takes some time to learn and use the Spanish subjuntivo properly, but as you can see from the examples we have discussed today it features a lot in everyday conversation. It is really important that you start learning and using the subjuntivo at Intermediate level once you are already confident with the regular indicative verb tenses.
Espero que practiquéis este uso esta semana
Que paseís un buen día
¡Hasta pronto!
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About the Author: Laura & Adam
Laura & Adam have been blogging and creating online Spanish courses for Transparent Language since 2010. Laura is from Bilbao in northern Spain and Adam is from Devon in the south of England. They lived together in Spain for over 10 years, where their 2 daughters were born, and now they live in Scotland. Both Laura & Adam qualified as foreign language teachers in 2004 and since have been teaching Spanish in Spain, the UK, and online.
Comments:
Jess:
I am studying Spanish right now and found your website. Thanks for this nice, clear breakdown of the subjunctive, it was super helpful for me. Now it’s time to go practice! 🙂
fred12345:
Hello
Ojalá (que) gane mucho dinero: I hope I win a lot of money
Can i say :
Ojalá ganar mucho dinero
or after ojalá i have to always put (que)?
What if :
Espero que gane mucho dinero. <<—- is this correct?
Thank you
David Carmona:
@fred12345 “Ojalá ganara mucho dinero.”
“Espero ganar mucho dinero.”
If you add “que” after the main verb, you´re implying that you hope or wish someone else gets it.
fred12345:
thank you