Breakdown of Ojalá este valle extensísimo fuera habitable.
ser
to be
este
this
el valle
valley
ojalá
hopefully / I hope
extenso
extensive
habitable
habitable
Questions & Answers about Ojalá este valle extensísimo fuera habitable.
How is the word extensísimo formed from its base adjective?
The base adjective is extenso (extensive). To add the -ísimo suffix, we drop the final vowel -o and attach the ending. It is masculine singular to match valle. Also, note the written accent on the first í: all words ending in -ísimo are stressed on the third-to-last syllable, so they always require a written accent mark.
Why use the imperfect subjunctive fuera here instead of the present subjunctive sea?
The tense changes the meaning of ojalá. If you use the present subjunctive (ojalá sea), it means 'Hopefully it is' (expressing a real possibility). Using the imperfect subjunctive (ojalá fuera) changes the meaning to 'I wish it were' (a counterfactual or highly unlikely scenario). The speaker knows the valley is not currently habitable, but wishes it were.
Why do we use ser (fuera) instead of estar (estuviera) with the adjective habitable?
Valle ends in -e. How do we know to use masculine modifiers like este and extensísimo instead of feminine ones?
Unlike nouns ending in -o or -a, nouns ending in -e don't follow a strict, universal gender rule, so their gender often simply has to be memorized. Valle is a masculine noun, which dictates the masculine forms for este and the -o ending on extensísimo.
Learn Ojalá este valle extensísimo fuera habitable 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