Ojalá

Ojalá
 

¿Cómo traduciríais "ojalá" en una frase como:

Ojalá le hubieras dicho algo.

I wish/hope you should have told him something.

?

Thanks.

If only.

If only you'd* said something to him.

* you had

OK, thanks.

I wish is fine too.

Thanks, Robin :)

But I was told (here) that "wish" is used when there's no possibility. What about if there is a possibility? For instance:

Ojalá llegues a tiempo.
I wish you arrive in time.

There are two alternatives, you can arrive in time or you can arrive late.

But you can't say that.
I hope that you arrive in time. :good:
I pray that you arrive in time:good:
May you arrive in time:good::yuck:
Please God let it be that you arrive in time:good::yuck:

I just wish for once that you would arrive in time :good: (you idiot):eek:
.
.
.

Don't you like "May you arrive in time"? :thinking:

So, if there is a possibility, I must use "hope", but I can say "wish" if there's no possibility. Am I right?

I guess you can omit that "that" and say "I hope you arrive...". Do you prefer to use "that"? :thinking:

No.

No. An example taken from the BNC:

"I just wish the old cow would hurry up and die."

Here it expresses frustration rather than impossibility.

I can't write more now, but I will try to think about this and come back later.

Why?

La explicación he aprendido es así

Ojalá - más fuerte que "esperar"

No espero tener que hacerlo - I hope I don´t have to do it (the wash, algo con menos esfuerza)
No ojalá tener que hacerlo - I pray I don´t have to do it (kill someone today, algo muy difícil)
------
Wish or hope :thinking:

Yo entiendo así,
"wish" es más o menos usado cuando es menos posible que algo ocurrirá
"hope" es usado cuando quizás puede ocurrir

I wish I could win the lottery today
I hope I win atleast 20 dollars at the casino

Pero no consideres esas reglas como no se pueden cambiar
Don´t consider these rules to be exact, but they are a good guideline:)

No ojalá :thumbsdown: can't be used
You can say ojalá que no.

Muchas gracias poli!

@Bob: I don't think the difference is that dramatic. "Ojalá" expresses an intense wish, but it can be used as a synonym of "espero que", "deseo que", "me gustaría que", "quiero que"...

Ojalá pongan Avatar en un cine cercano. = Espero que pongan Avatar en un cine cercano. - I hope they'll show Avatar in a nearby theatre.

Ojalá que la clase termine pronto, porque estoy muy aburrida. = Quiero que la clase termine pronto, porque estoy muy aburrida. - I hope the class will end soon, because I'm so bored.

Ojalá que venga mi papá para navidad. = Me gustaría que mi papá viniera para navidad. - I hope my dad would come for Christmas.



Please note:

Gracias por la ayuda! :star::star::star::star:

Suena raro. No estoy seguro por qué, pero tengo alguna idea que "May you X" es lenguaje bastante formal para bendecir o maldecir.

Es lenguaje de Yoda... "may the force be with you." :D

As pjt says, the expression sounds odd, although grammatically correct. You would not use it in ordinary speech, but you could use it in an ironic/silly mode, such as a curse:

May all your Chrismas(s?)es be White. (note the subjunctive, which is actually a hortative optative, in case @Chileno is interested :))
May you live in peace.
May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits!

:)

Is "Chrismas" a typo? Why that "es"? :thinking:

Yes. Plural. But Perikles isn't sure whether Christmases or Christmasses. (FWIW Firefox spell-checker says the former).

OK. Thanks.