Learn Spanish (Latin America): ¡Que te recuperes pronto!

In Spanish, starting a sentence with Que followed by a subjunctive verb is the standard way to express a direct wish or greeting. It acts like a shortcut for saying 'I hope that...' (Espero que...).

Why is the verb spelled 'recuperes' instead of 'recuperas'?

Because this sentence expresses a wish, it requires a special verb mood called the subjunctive. For regular -ar verbs like recuperar, the informal 'you' (tú) ending changes from the normal -as to -es.

Why is there a 'te' before the verb?

The verb for 'to recover' or 'to get well' is recuperarse, which is a reflexive verb in Spanish. The te is the reflexive pronoun for tú, so the phrase is structured like 'may you recover yourself.'

How would I say this to someone I address formally (usted)?

You would change the reflexive pronoun and the verb ending to match the formal usted form. The sentence would become ¡Que se recupere pronto!