Expressing Hopes with "Ojalá"
To express a strong hope or wish, you can use the word ojalá. Borrowed from Arabic, it translates closely to "hopefully," "I hope," or "God willing."
| hopefully / I hope | ojalá |
When talking about a desired outcome for the present or future, ojalá is always followed by the present subjunctive. You can use it with or without the word que; the meaning is exactly the same!
| I hope the future is a time of peace. | Ojalá que el futuro sea un tiempo de paz. |
| I hope you get the promotion at work. | Ojalá obtengas el ascenso en el trabajo. |
Everyday Goals and Wishes
You can use ojalá (que) to talk about personal goals, career ambitions, or everyday solutions. Notice how the verb endings swap (using -e for -ar verbs, and -a for -er/-ir verbs) because we are in the subjunctive mood.
| I hope we save a lot of money this year. | Ojalá que ahorremos mucho dinero este año. |
| I hope they solve the problem today. | Ojalá resuelvan el problema hoy. |
Hoping for the Best
Ojalá is especially useful for expressing hopes about things completely out of your control, like the economy or the weather.
| I hope the rent goes down this year. | Ojalá baje el alquiler este año. |
| I hope it stops raining, because it is very cloudy. | Ojalá que pare de llover, porque está muy nublado. |
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