Breakdown of ¡Ojalá exista la justicia en esta sociedad!
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
este
this (m.sg., also esta, estos, estas, esto)
existir
to exist
ojalá
hopefully / I hope (that)
la justicia
the justice
la sociedad
the society
Questions & Answers about ¡Ojalá exista la justicia en esta sociedad!
Why is the verb exista instead of existe?
Exista is the present subjunctive form of the regular -ir verb existir. We use the subjunctive here because the sentence starts with ojalá, which expresses a strong hope or wish. To form it, take the present tense yo form (existo), drop the -o, and add the opposite ending for -ir verbs, which is -a.
Can I say ojalá que exista instead of just ojalá exista?
Yes! Ojalá and ojalá que mean exactly the same thing and are used interchangeably in Spanish. You will hear both versions often, and both require the subjunctive verb exista.
Why is there a la before justicia when the English translation is just justice?
In Spanish, when you talk about an abstract concept or a general noun as the subject of a sentence (like justice, love, or peace), you almost always need to use a definite article (el, la, los, or las). English drops the article in these cases, but Spanish requires it.
Does the word ojalá ever change its ending depending on who is hoping?
No, ojalá never changes. It is a fixed expression with Arabic roots, originally meaning 'God willing'. Because it is not a verb or an adjective, it has only one form, no matter who is doing the wishing or how many people are involved.
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