Learn Spanish (Latin America): ¡Ojalá el hada viniera al castillo grandísimo! - I wish the fairy came to the huge castle!

¡Ojalá el hada viniera al castillo grandísimo!

I wish the fairy came to the huge castle!

Breakdown of ¡Ojalá el hada viniera al castillo grandísimo!

Questions & Answers about ¡Ojalá el hada viniera al castillo grandísimo!

How do we form the imperfect subjunctive viniera from the verb venir?

To form the imperfect subjunctive, you always start with the ellos/ellas form of the preterite tense. For venir, that form is irregular: vinieron. You drop the -ron to get the stem vinie-, and then add the imperfect subjunctive ending for the third-person singular, which is -ra. That gives us viniera.

Wait, isn't hada a feminine word? Why does it use el?

Yes, hada is feminine! However, because it starts with a stressed A sound (the H is silent), Spanish uses the singular masculine article el to avoid the awkward double A sound of la hada. This is the exact same rule used for el agua. In the plural, it goes back to the feminine article: las hadas.

Why use the imperfect subjunctive (viniera) after ojalá instead of the present subjunctive (venga)?

Using ojalá with the imperfect subjunctive expresses a wish that is unlikely, impossible, or contrary to fact in the present moment, like saying 'If only she came!' or 'I wish she would come!'. If you used the present subjunctive (venga), it would mean you think there is a realistic chance she might actually come (meaning 'Hopefully she comes!').

What does the ending on do?