“Ojalá” means “I hope” or “I wish”.
It’s one single word that expresses a wish: ¡Ojalá llueva mañana! = I hope it rains tomorrow! And it’s always followed by the subjunctive.
Ojalá is one of the most beautiful words in Spanish, and one of the oldest. Spaniards use it every day, and it comes with a little grammar trick that, once you get it, makes you sound much more advanced.
How to use “ojalá”
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¡Ojalá haga sol el fin de semana! | I hope it’s sunny at the weekend! |
| Ojalá que te den el trabajo. | I really hope you get the job. |
| Ojalá tuviera más tiempo. | I wish I had more time. |
| Ojalá no hubiera dicho eso. | I wish I hadn’t said that. |
| —¿Vienes a la fiesta? —¡Ojalá! | Are you coming to the party? I wish! |
You can say ojalá or ojalá que, both are correct. And it can stand alone as an answer: ¡Ojalá! = I hope so! / I wish!
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Get the free guide →The grammar trick: which subjunctive?
- Ojalá + present subjunctive = a real hope for the present or future. Ojalá venga. (I hope he comes.)
- Ojalá + imperfect subjunctive = a wish that’s unlikely or impossible now. Ojalá viniera. (I wish he would come.)
- Ojalá + pluperfect subjunctive = a regret about the past. Ojalá hubiera venido. (I wish he had come.)
The verb never changes for “who” is wishing: ojalá works for I, you, we, everyone.
Where does “ojalá” come from?
From Arabic. It comes from an expression meaning “if God wills”, from the centuries when Arabic was spoken in much of the Iberian Peninsula. Spanish has thousands of words from Arabic, like aceite, almohada or azúcar, but ojalá is probably the most poetic.
Similar expressions
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Espero que… | I hope that… (+ subjunctive) |
| Ya quisiera yo | I wish! (ironic) |
| Con suerte | With luck, hopefully |
| Si Dios quiere | God willing |
| Crucemos los dedos | Let’s keep our fingers crossed |
| Que sea lo que Dios quiera | Whatever will be, will be |
FAQ
Is “ojalá” religious?
Its origin is, but today nobody thinks about that. Atheists say ojalá every day.
Do you need “que” after ojalá?
No. Ojalá venga and ojalá que venga are both correct.
Does “ojalá” have an accent?
Yes: ojalá, with the stress on the last syllable.
More Spanish expressions from Spain
Part of my series on real Spanish expressions, the ones Spaniards use every day and textbooks never teach:
- Estar como una cabra
- Ponerse las pilas
- Costar un ojo de la cara
- No pasa nada
- ¡Qué fuerte!
- Estar hecho polvo
- Me importa un pepino
- Ser pan comido
- Estar en las nubes
- Tomar el pelo
- Meter la pata
- Dar la lata
- Echar una mano
- En el quinto pino
- Venga
- Eres la leche
- Toma tomate, tómalo
👉 See all Spanish expressions from Spain
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