Direct wishes (que...)

Direct Wishes with Que

When bidding farewell to a friend, you can express direct hopes and wishes by starting a sentence with que followed by a verb in the present subjunctive (equivalent to "may..." in English).

This is not a farewell, but may your journey be unforgettable.
Isto não é uma despedida, mas que a tua jornada seja inesquecível.

By starting with que, you are essentially dropping an introductory phrase like espero que (I hope that) and jumping straight to the wish itself.

Common Verbs for Well-Wishing

Notice how verbs change to their subjunctive forms to express a desire rather than a statement of fact:

  • ser becomes seja (singular) or sejam (plural)
  • abençoar becomes abençoe
  • iluminar becomes ilumine
May God bless you and may your return be quick.
Que Deus te abençoe e que o teu regresso seja rápido.
May the moon illuminate your path, full of peace.
Que a lua ilumine o teu caminho, repleto de paz.

Negative Wishes

To wish that something does not happen, place não immediately after que. If there is an object pronoun (like te), it goes between não and the verb.

May luck not abandon you on this journey abroad.
Que a sorte não te abandone nesta jornada pelo estrangeiro.
We will never abandon you, and may you lack nothing.
Nós não te abandonaremos nunca, e que não te falte nada.
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