Spanish · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 5 of 12
Hopes and wishes
Deseos y esperanzas
Talk about hopes, wishes and plans in Spanish with the conditional (me gustaría, haría), quiero que, espero que and ojalá.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say what you would like to do with me gustaría and the conditional
- Give advice with yo en tu lugar…
- Say what you want or hope others will do: quiero que, espero que, ojalá
- Ask for things politely with ¿Podrías…? and ¿Te importaría…?
Listen
In Logroño, Lorena visits her father, Ángel, who is retiring next month. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Lorena
Papá, el mes que viene te jubilas. ¿Ya sabes qué vas a hacer?
Dad, you're retiring next month. Do you know what you're going to do yet?
Ángel
Tengo muchas ideas. Me gustaría aprender a pintar y viajar más. Y tu madre quiere que hagamos el Camino de Santiago.
I've got lots of ideas. I'd like to learn to paint and travel more. And your mother wants us to do the Camino de Santiago.
Lorena
¿El Camino? ¡Pero si a ti no te gusta nada andar!
The Camino? But you don't like walking at all!
Ángel
Ya, pero a tu madre le hace mucha ilusión. Espero que no sea muy difícil.
I know, but your mother is really looking forward to it. I hope it isn't too hard.
Lorena
Yo en tu lugar haría la última parte, unos cien kilómetros.
If I were you, I'd do the last part, about a hundred kilometres.
Ángel
Buena idea. ¿Y tú? ¿Vendrías con nosotros?
Good idea. And you? Would you come with us?
Lorena
Me encantaría, pero no creo que me den tantos días libres en el trabajo.
I'd love to, but I don't think they'll give me so many days off work.
Ángel
Qué pena. También queremos pasar más tiempo con vosotros y con los niños.
What a shame. We also want to spend more time with you and the children.
Lorena
Ojalá. Los niños os echan mucho de menos.
I hope so. The children miss you a lot.
Ángel
Y nosotros a ellos. ¿Podrías traerlos este sábado? Tu madre quiere llevarlos al parque.
And we miss them. Could you bring them this Saturday? Your mother wants to take them to the park.
Lorena
Claro. Pero ¿te importaría ir a buscarlos a casa? Es que el sábado trabajo por la mañana.
Of course. But would you mind picking them up from home? The thing is, I'm working on Saturday morning.
Ángel
Por supuesto que no. Ojalá haga buen tiempo.
Of course not. Let's hope the weather's good.
Understand
The conditional: haría, me gustaría
The “conditional” () means “would”: (I would do the last part). It's as easy as the future: take the whole infinitive and add -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían. The endings are the same for all verbs.
Verbs with an irregular future stem (A2) use the same stem: → , → , → , → , → , → , → , → .
| Person | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| / / | |||
| / | |||
| / | |||
| / / |
Using the conditional
Use the conditional for wishes: (I'd like to travel), (I'd love to). Use it for advice with (if I were you): .
It also makes requests softer and more polite than the present: (Could you bring them?). + infinitive? means “Would you mind …ing?”. With : ¿Le importaría…?
- Me gustaría aprender a pintar.I'd like to learn to paint.
- Yo en tu lugar iría en tren.If I were you, I'd go by train.
- ¿Vendrías con nosotros?Would you come with us?
- ¿Te importaría cerrar la ventana?Would you mind closing the window?
Wishes for others: quiero que, espero que, ojalá
When you want someone else to do something, use + subjunctive: (My mother wants us to do the Camino). English says “wants us to do”, but Spanish needs + subjunctive. When it's the same person, use the infinitive: (I want to do the Camino).
also means “to hope”, and works the same way: (I hope it isn't difficult). (let's hope, I hope) is always followed by the subjunctive: . On its own, means “I hope so!”.
- Quiero que vengas a mi fiesta.I want you to come to my party.
- Espero que te guste.I hope you like it.
- Ojalá haga buen tiempo.Let's hope the weather's good.
More in the grammar: The conditional and if-clauses: haría, si tuviera · The present subjunctive: que sea, que tenga
New words
- jubilarseto retire · : you're retiring; / : retired
- aprenderto learn · + infinitive:
- pintarto paint
- el Camino de Santiagothe Way of St James (pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela) · often just
- ¡Pero si…!But…! (to object or show surprise) · : But you don't like walking!
- andarto walk · preterite: , …
- hacer ilusiónto be looking forward to, to be excited about · works like :
- el kilómetrokilometre · masculine
- pasar tiempoto spend time · : to spend time with someone
- ojalálet's hope, I hope · + subjunctive: ; : I hope so!
- echar de menosto miss (a person or place) · : I miss you
- traerto bring · , …; subjunctive:
- ir a buscar a alguiento pick someone up, to fetch someone
- por supuestoof course · : of course not
Practise
1.Complete: “Mi madre quiere que … el Camino.” (we do)
2.Complete with the conditional of : “I'd like to learn to paint.”
I'd like to learn to paint.
3.Complete with the conditional of (): “Would you come with us?”
Would you come with us?
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I hope it isn't very difficult.
5.Match the Spanish with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.You'd like a friend to close the window. What's the most polite way to ask?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Me gustaría viajar más.
I'd like to travel more.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.