Breakdown of Ojalá tuviera el don de ser siempre valiente.
ser
to be
de
from / of
tener
to have
siempre
always
ojalá
hopefully / I hope
valiente
brave
el don
the gift
Questions & Answers about Ojalá tuviera el don de ser siempre valiente.
Why is tuviera in the past tense if the wish is about the present?
Even though you are wishing for something right now, Spanish uses the imperfect (past) subjunctive after ojalá to show that the wish is unreal or highly unlikely. We actually do the exact same thing in English! We say 'If only I had' (past tense) to mean 'I wish I had it right now but I don't.'
Can I say ojalá que tuviera instead of just ojalá tuviera?
Yes, you absolutely can. When expressing these unreal wishes with the imperfect subjunctive, you can use either ojalá or ojalá que. Both are common and mean the exact same thing.
How do we know who is wishing for the gift if tuviera can mean 'I had', 'he had', or 'she had'?
Why do we use the infinitive ser instead of a word for 'being'?
In Spanish, whenever a verb follows a preposition like de (of), it must be in the infinitive form (ser). You can't use the -ndo form (siendo) here like we use '-ing' in English.
Could I use regalo instead of don for 'gift' here?
No, because regalo specifically means a physical present you wrap and give to someone. Don is the word you need for a natural talent, ability, or 'gift' in the abstract sense, like bravery.
Learn Ojalá tuviera el don de ser siempre valiente and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free