Breakdown of Ojalá seamos solidarios y contribuyamos con todo cuanto podamos.
ser
to be
y
and
con
with
poder
to be able to / can
todo
all / everything
ojalá
hopefully / I hope
cuanto
all that / as much as (relative) / the more/less (in proportional comparisons)
solidario
supportive
contribuir
to contribute (to a cause or result)
Questions & Answers about Ojalá seamos solidarios y contribuyamos con todo cuanto podamos.
Why use todo cuanto here instead of the more common todo lo que?
Todo cuanto means exactly the same thing as todo lo que ("everything that" or "all that"). In this sentence, using cuanto adds a slightly more literary or emphatic tone, stressing the absolute maximum of what we can do. You could safely swap it out for todo lo que without changing the basic meaning.
Why is podamos in the subjunctive instead of the indicative podemos?
We use the subjunctive after todo cuanto when the exact amount or extent is unknown, hypothetical, or in the future. Since the speaker doesn't know exactly how much we will ultimately be able to contribute, podamos is required. If they were stating a known, established routine like "we always contribute all that we can", they would use the indicative podemos.
Does ojalá trigger the subjunctive for all three verbs in this sentence?
Not quite. Ojalá (expressing a strong wish or hope) directly triggers the present subjunctive for both seamos and contribuyamos, since they are linked by y as part of the same hope. However, podamos is in the subjunctive because of the indefinite nature of todo cuanto, not directly because of ojalá.
Why do we use ser (seamos) with solidarios instead of estar?
Why is the preposition con used after contribuyamos?
In Spanish, when you mention the actual thing being given or donated (in this case, todo cuanto podamos), contribuir is followed by con. If you were instead mentioning the cause or goal you are contributing to, you would use the preposition a.
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