Breakdown of Espero que estés contenta.
estar
to be (location/state)
esperar
to wait / to hope / to expect
contento
happy, pleased (= feliz)
Questions & Answers about Espero que estés contenta.
Why do we use estés here instead of estás?
The verb esperar (to hope) expresses a desire or wish. When you say espero que (I hope that) and the subject changes from "I" hoping to "you" being, the second verb must be in the subjunctive mood. That is why we use the subjunctive estés instead of the normal present tense estás.
Why does this sentence use estar (estés) instead of ser (seas) for "are"?
Does contenta mean the person speaking is female, or the person being spoken to?
It means the person being spoken to ("you") is female. Adjectives always match the noun or pronoun they describe. Since estés means "you are", contenta must match the gender of "you". If you were talking to a man, you would say Espero que estés contento.
Could I use feliz instead of contenta here?
Yes! Espero que estés feliz is also perfectly natural. Contenta often translates closer to "glad" or being pleased with a specific situation, while feliz can imply a deeper or broader happiness, but they are very often used interchangeably.
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