Breakdown of Я хочу поднять первый бокал. Пусть удача всегда будет с нами!
я
I
мы
we
всегда
always
хотеть
to want
Questions & Answers about Я хочу поднять первый бокал. Пусть удача всегда будет с нами!
How does пусть work with будет to mean 'May luck be'?
To create a third-person imperative—a command or wish for 'him', 'her', 'it', or 'them'—you use the particle пусть followed by a verb in the present or future tense. Here, удача (luck) is the subject. By pairing пусть with the future tense verb будет, the speaker makes a strong wish: 'Let luck be' or 'May luck be'.
Could I translate пусть удача... as 'let luck...' instead of 'may luck...'?
Yes, пусть is most commonly translated as 'let' (for example, 'let them come'). However, in toasts, blessings, or strong wishes, 'may' sounds much more natural in English. The Russian grammar is exactly the same whether you translate it as 'let luck be' or 'may luck be'.
Why is поднять (to raise) in the perfective aspect here?
You use the perfective aspect after verbs like хочу (I want) when you are talking about a single, completed action with a clear result. The speaker wants to complete the action of raising this specific glass right now, not repeatedly or as an ongoing habit.
What case is первый бокал in, and why didn't its ending change?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object receiving the action of the verb поднять (to raise). Because бокал is an inanimate masculine noun, its accusative form looks exactly the same as its nominative (dictionary) form.