Ojalá madruguemos mañana para ver el amanecer y no quememos el desayuno al cocinar.

I hope we get up early tomorrow to see the sunrise and not burn the breakfast when cooking.

Breakdown of Ojalá madruguemos mañana para ver el amanecer y no quememos el desayuno al cocinar.

• cocinar: to cook
• para: to
• nosotros: we
• el: the
• y: and
• ver: to see
• el amanecer: the sunrise
• el desayuno: the breakfast
• mañana: tomorrow
• madrugar: to get up early
• quemar: to burn
• ojalá: I hope

Questions & Answers about Ojalá madruguemos mañana para ver el amanecer y no quememos el desayuno al cocinar.

Why does the sentence start with ojalá?

Ojalá expresses a strong hope or wish for something to happen. In Spanish, this word often triggers the subjunctive mood because it conveys uncertainty or desire.

Why is madruguemos in the subjunctive form instead of the indicative?

The verb madruguemos comes from madrugar (to get up early) and is used in the subjunctive because it follows ojalá, reflecting hope or desire rather than a definite action. In other words, you are expressing a wish for us to rise early, not a statement of certainty.

Can I just say levantarnos temprano instead of madrugar?

Yes, levantarnos temprano conveys a similar idea, but madrugar is more specific and natural in Spanish for getting up very early (before sunrise or shortly after). It’s a commonly used verb to emphasize rising earlier than usual.

Why do we use no quememos instead of no quemamos?

Again, it’s the subjunctive mood that follows ojalá (or a similar context of wishing). No quememos means we hope we won't burn. Subjunctive forms in negative wishes point to something you want to avoid.

What does al cocinar literally mean?

Al cocinar literally translates to upon cooking or when cooking. It indicates that the action (cooking) is in progress when something happens (in this case, the potential burning of the breakfast).

How would I say this entire sentence in a more literal way in English?

A close, more literal version would be: I hope we’ll get up early tomorrow to see the sunrise and (that) we don’t burn the breakfast while cooking. The structure in Spanish emphasizes the sense of hope through the subjunctive mood in both wishes.