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¡Ojalá esta mansión estuviera en el paraíso!

¡Ojalá esta mansión estuviera en el paraíso!
If only this mansion were in paradise!
From Lesson 386:Unlikely present and future wishes (¡ojalá!)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about ¡Ojalá esta mansión estuviera en el paraíso!

Why do we use the imperfect subjunctive (estuviera) here instead of the present subjunctive (esté)?
We use the imperfect subjunctive after Ojalá to express a wish that is highly unlikely or impossible in the present or future. The speaker knows the mansion is not actually in paradise, so they are saying 'If only it were!'. If they used the present subjunctive (Ojalá esté...), it would mean they are hoping for a real, possible outcome.
Why do we use the verb estar here instead of ser? Isn't a mansion's location permanent?
In Spanish, we always use estar to talk about the physical location of people, places, and things, no matter how permanent they are. We only use ser to talk about the location of an event taking place, like a party, a concert, or a meeting.
Could I say estuviese instead of estuviera?
Yes, absolutely. The imperfect subjunctive has two sets of endings: -ra and -se. Ojalá esta mansión estuviese... means exactly the same thing and is completely correct, though the -ra ending tends to be a bit more common in everyday speech.
Is it wrong to put que after Ojalá?
Not at all! When using Ojalá, you can include que or leave it out. Both ¡Ojalá que esta mansión... and ¡Ojalá esta mansión... are completely correct and natural to say.

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