Log inSign up

¡Ojalá hubiera puesto la direccional!

¡Ojalá hubiera puesto la direccional!
I wish I had put the turn signal on!
From Lesson 368:Unfulfillable wishes (ojalá)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about ¡Ojalá hubiera puesto la direccional!

Why do we use hubiera puesto here instead of the imperfect subjunctive pusiera?
Ojalá followed by the past perfect subjunctive (the imperfect subjunctive of haber plus a past participle) expresses regret about a finished past event that cannot be changed. If you used the imperfect subjunctive (¡Ojalá pusiera la direccional!), it would mean an unlikely present wish, like 'I wish I were putting the turn signal on right now.'
Since hubiera can be used for I, he, she, or you (formal), how do we know this means 'I wish I had put'?
Out of context, we don't! The form hubiera puesto could also mean 'I wish he or she had put the turn signal on.' In real life, context makes it obvious who was driving. If you needed to clarify, you would add a pronoun: ¡Ojalá yo hubiera puesto la direccional!
Why is direccional feminine (la direccional)?
It is feminine because it is essentially short for la luz direccional (the directional light). The noun luz is feminine, so when people drop the word luz, the describing word direccional keeps the feminine article.
Is la direccional the standard word for turn signal in all Spanish-speaking countries?
Car vocabulary varies wildly by region. La direccional (or sometimes el direccional) is very common in Mexico, Colombia, and other parts of Latin America. In Spain you will hear el intermitente, and in Argentina you might hear la luz de giro or el guiño.
Could I say hubiese puesto instead of hubiera puesto?
Yes, hubiese and hubiera are perfectly interchangeable forms. However, in Latin America, the hubiera ending is used far more frequently in everyday speech.

Learn ¡Ojalá hubiera puesto la direccional 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
Start learning Spanish →