Breakdown of ¿Dónde estará la poción? Ojalá yo fuera invisible.
yo
I
ser
to be
estar
to be (location/state)
dónde
where
la
the (feminine)
ojalá
hopefully / I hope
invisible
invisible
la poción
potion
Questions & Answers about ¿Dónde estará la poción? Ojalá yo fuera invisible.
Why is fuera used here, and how is it formed?
Fuera is the imperfect (past) subjunctive of ser (to be). We use the subjunctive here because ojalá (I wish / if only) expresses a strong desire. To form these irregular past subjunctives, you take the ustedes/ellos form of the preterite past tense (fueron), drop the -on, and add the imperfect subjunctive endings. So, fuer- + -a gives us fuera.
Why does the sentence use the future tense estará if the speaker is looking for the potion right now?
Why use the past subjunctive (fuera) when they are wishing to be invisible right now?
When you use ojalá with the imperfect (past) subjunctive, it expresses a wish about the present that is unlikely, contrary to reality, or impossible. Saying Ojalá yo fuera invisible means 'I wish I were invisible (right now, but I am not).' Notice that English does the exact same thing: we say 'I wish I were' (a past tense form) to talk about a present dream.
Since being invisible is a temporary state caused by a potion, why use ser (fuera) instead of estar (estuviera)?
Even though becoming invisible is a temporary change, being 'invisible' is treated as a fundamental physical trait or characteristic of the person in that moment. Physical traits and characteristics almost always use ser, even in magical situations.
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