Breakdown of Ojalá vayas a por el encargo pronto.
ir
to go
pronto
soon
ojalá
hopefully / I hope (that)
a por
for (to go get)
el encargo
the errand; the order (made to order), the task
Questions & Answers about Ojalá vayas a por el encargo pronto.
Why do we use a por here instead of just por?
In Spain, the double preposition a por is commonly used after verbs of motion (like the verb ir used here) to mean 'in search of' or 'to fetch'. While Latin American speakers usually just use por for this, a por is the standard way in Spain to emphasize that you are moving towards something specifically to retrieve it.
Why is the verb ir conjugated as vayas instead of vas?
The word ojalá (meaning 'I hope' or 'if only') always triggers the subjunctive mood because it expresses a strong desire or hope rather than a declared fact. Therefore, we use the present subjunctive vayas instead of the present indicative vas.
What exactly does el encargo mean in this context?
Could I use a verb to express this instead of the preposition a por?
Yes, you could say Ojalá vayas a buscar el encargo pronto. Using ir a buscar (to go look for or to go get) is a very common alternative that means the exact same thing. However, using the double preposition a por is a very natural and concise way to express this fetching action in everyday Spanish from Spain.
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