grammar.subjunctive.ojala
Ojalá: hopes and regrets
Ojalá + present subjunctive hopes (ojalá venga); + imperfect wishes against the odds (ojalá viniera); + pluperfect regrets (ojalá hubiera venido).
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Explication
Ojalá ('I hope / if only') always takes the subjunctive, with or without a following que. The word comes from Arabic 'in shā’ Allāh', and it expresses a wish whose realism is set entirely by the tense you choose.
Present subjunctive = a real hope for the future: ojalá venga, ojalá apruebe el visado. Imperfect subjunctive = a wish seen as unlikely or contrary to fact: ojalá viniera, ojalá tuviéramos más tiempo. Pluperfect subjunctive = regret about the past: ojalá hubiera venido, ojalá lo hubiéramos sabido.
It can also stand alone as a heartfelt 'I hope so!': ¿Crees que baje el dólar? — ¡Ojalá!
Exemples
I hope the visa gets approved.
Région: global
I wish we had more time.
Région: global
I hope everything goes well tomorrow.