Español — Subjunctive: wishes
When you want, hope or wish that someone else do something, Spanish uses que + the subjunctive: Quiero que vengas. The word ojalá (que) works the same way, and a bare que + subjunctive expresses a detached wish, as in ¡Que te vaya bien!
How it works
A verb of wanting or hoping (querer, esperar, desear) plus que introduces a second, different subject whose verb goes into the subjunctive: Espero que tengas suerte, Deseo que te mejores pronto. Ojalá (que) does the same with no main verb: Ojalá (que) llueva mañana.
Examples
| Trigger | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| querer que | Quiero que vengas. | I want you to come. |
| esperar que | Espero que tengas suerte. | I hope you have luck. |
| desear que | Deseo que te mejores pronto. | I hope you get better soon. |
| ojalá (que) | Ojalá (que) llueva mañana. | I hope it rains tomorrow. |
| que + subj. | ¡Que te vaya bien! | May it go well for you! |
| que + subj. | ¡Que aproveche! | Enjoy your meal! |
Good to know
The subjunctive appears only when the subjects differ. If the wanter and the doer are the same person, use the infinitive with no que: say Quiero venir (I want to come), not Quiero que venga. After ojalá the subjunctive is obligatory even though que is optional.