When you want to express a deep, almost impossible wish—like having a superpower or living a fantasy life—Spanish uses a special exclamation starting with ¡quién!.
Though it usually translates to "I wish I..." or "If only I...", grammatically quién acts exactly like "who" does in English: as a third-person singular subject. Therefore, the verb that follows must always be conjugated in the third-person singular (él/ella/usted) form.
To wish for something unattainable in the present or future, use ¡quién! followed by the Pretérito Imperfecto de Subjuntivo (past subjunctive).
| If only I had a superhuman gift right now! | ¡Quién tuviera un don sobrehumano ahora mismo! |
| I wish I could teleport to the beach! | ¡Quién pudiera teletransportarse a la playa! |
| I wish I were royalty so I'd never work! | ¡Quién fuera de la realeza para no trabajar nunca! |
Changing the past
If your impossible wish is about something that already happened (or didn't happen), use ¡quién! followed by the Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo (past perfect subjunctive).
This compound tense is formed using the past subjunctive of haber (hubiera) and a past participle (like tenido, bebido, or sido). Use this structure to express wistful fantasies and regrets about the past.
| If only I had had superhuman strength yesterday! | ¡Quién hubiera tenido una fuerza sobrehumana ayer! |
| If only I had drunk that potion to achieve immortality! | ¡Quién hubiera bebido esa poción para conseguir la inmortalidad! |
| If only I had been a free pirate on the sea! | ¡Quién hubiera sido una pirata libre en el mar! |