They Wish in Spanish | Natural Phrases For Real Spanish

Use ya quisieran, ojalá and desear to handle hopes, regrets, and sarcastic comments in Spanish.

English uses “they wish” in more than one way. Sometimes it describes a simple desire, sometimes a dreamy hope, and sometimes a sharp “yeah right” reaction. Spanish splits those uses across several verbs and set phrases, so one direct translation rarely covers everything.

This guide walks through the main ways to say “they wish” in natural Spanish, with patterns, grammar tips, and plenty of examples you can reuse and tweak. By the end, you’ll know when to reach for desean, when you need the subjunctive, and when an exclamation like ¡Ya quisieran! fits best.

They Wish In Spanish: Main Meanings And Core Patterns

Before looking at nuance, it helps to see the big picture. English “they wish” tends to fall into three broad groups:

• A neutral desire: “They wish to travel more.”
• A wish about something that might or might not happen: “They wish that she would call.”
• A sarcastic or disbelieving reply: “They wish!”

Spanish usually covers the first two uses with desear and the subjunctive, and the third with fixed phrases built around querer or desear in special forms.

Literal Desire: Ellos Desean + Infinitive

For a straightforward desire, “they wish” often matches ellos desean or simply desean, followed by an infinitive or a noun.

• Desean viajar más. – They wish to travel more.
• Desean una casa cerca del mar. – They wish for a house near the sea.
• Ellos desean aprender español mejor. – They wish to learn Spanish better.

The verb desear appears in every major Spanish dictionary as a verb for strong desire or wish. The Diccionario de la lengua española entry for desear describes it as aspiring intensely to something or longing for an event to happen, which lines up well with this use.

They Wish That Something Would Happen: Desear Que + Subjunctive

When the wish points toward another clause, Spanish usually needs the subjunctive. The pattern is:

desean que + subjunctive

• Desean que ella los visite. – They wish that she would visit them.
• Desean que todo salga bien. – They wish that everything turns out well.
• Deseaban que sus hijos fueran felices. – They wished their children were happy.

Spanish grammars describe the subjunctive as the mood for wishes, doubts, and similar non-factual ideas. A clear breakdown appears in the University of Texas resource on the subjunctive mood, which explains how it expresses wishes, hopes, and uncertainty in contrast with the indicative mood for facts.Spanish In Texas – Subjunctive Mood

Soft Or Polite Wishes: Quisieran / Querrían

English sometimes uses “they wish” to sound softer or more polite, especially in formal writing. In Spanish, that tone often comes from conditional forms such as quisieran or querrían:

• Quisieran hablar con usted mañana. – They wish to speak with you tomorrow.
• Querrían cambiar la fecha de la reunión. – They wish to change the meeting date.

Here, the verb literal meaning leans toward “they would like,” but in many contexts it fills the same space English gives to a formal “they wish.” This use keeps the tone courteous without sounding stiff.

Ojalá And They Wish: Hopes, Regrets, And If Only

English often uses “they wish” for unreal or hard-to-reach desires: “They wish they could go,” “They wish they had studied more.” Spanish tends to move away from desear here and lean heavily on ojalá plus the subjunctive.

Ojalá + Present Subjunctive For Realistic Hopes

Ojalá is an interjection that expresses a strong hope that something will happen. The Real Academia Española describes it as a word that shows intense desire for some event.Diccionario de la lengua española – ojalá In everyday speech, it often feels more natural than a literal “they wish.”

• Ojalá lleguen a tiempo. – They wish they arrive on time / Hopefully they arrive on time.
• Ojalá consigan ese trabajo. – They wish they get that job / Hopefully they get that job.
• Ojalá puedan viajar este año. – They wish they can travel this year / Hopefully they can travel this year.

English might still use “they hope” in these cases, but in many stories or conversations people translate that same feeling with “they wish.” In Spanish, ojalá + present subjunctive signals a strong wish that still feels possible.

Ojalá + Past Subjunctive For Regrets

When the wish points toward something that is no longer true, Spanish usually pairs ojalá with past subjunctive forms. Here the meaning leans toward “if only” or “they wish, but it did not happen.”

• Ojalá tuvieran más tiempo. – They wish they had more time.
• Ojalá hubiera llovido menos. – They wish it had rained less.
• Ojalá no hubieran vendido la casa. – They wish they had not sold the house.

These sentences describe situations that either feel unlikely or already ran their course, which is why the past subjunctive or past perfect subjunctive appears after ojalá.

Comparison Table: They Wish In Spanish Across Contexts

The table below gathers the main ways to translate “they wish” in Spanish, grouped by situation. This broad view helps you spot patterns quickly and choose the expression that fits your sentence.

Context	Spanish Expression	Example Sentence
Simple desire	Desean + infinitive	Desean viajar más. – They wish to travel more.
Desire about a result	Desean que + subj.	Desean que todo salga bien. – They wish everything turns out well.
Formal / polite request	Quisieran / querrían + infinitive	Quisieran hablar con usted. – They wish to speak with you.
Strong realistic hope	Ojalá + present subj.	Ojalá lleguen pronto. – They wish they arrive soon.
Unreal present wish	Ojalá + past subj.	Ojalá tuvieran más dinero. – They wish they had more money.
Unreal past wish	Ojalá + past perfect subj.	Ojalá hubieran ido. – They wish they had gone.
Sarcastic reply	¡Ya quisieran!	—Dicen que son famosos. —¡Ya quisieran!

They Wish! As A Sarcastic Reply In Spanish

Sometimes “they wish” stands alone as a reaction. It can show disbelief, envy, or a sense that someone is bragging. Spanish usually trades the verb “wish” for a set of sharp phrases that carry that same attitude.

¡Ya Quisieran!

¡Ya quisieran! literally means “they would already like that,” but in practice it works like “they wish” or “as if” in English. It often follows a brag or an unrealistic claim.

• —Dicen que tocan como profesionales. —¡Ya quisieran!
  “They say they play like professionals.” “They wish.”
• —Creen que todos los admiran. —¡Ya quisieran!
  “They think everyone admires them.” “They wish.”

Otros Matices: Ni En Sueños, Quisieran Ellos

Spanish speakers also reach for other short replies that match the tone of a sarcastic “they wish”:

• Ni en sueños. – Not even in their dreams.
• Quisieran ellos. – They wish (with a hint of sarcasm, subject at the end).
• Ya les gustaría. – They would like that / They wish.

All of these work as quick reactions, especially in informal speech. The subject pronoun often drops because the verb form already shows “they.” Context usually makes it clear who “they” refers to.

Key Grammar Points For Saying They Wish In Spanish

The expressions above share a few grammar patterns. Once those feel natural, it becomes much easier to handle “they wish” in Spanish without stopping to think about every verb ending.

Choosing Ellos Or Ellas

Spanish allows you to drop subject pronouns such as ellos or ellas when the verb ending already tells you who acts. Still, there are times when keeping the pronoun helpful:

• To contrast groups: Ellos desean salir, pero ellas prefieren quedarse.
• To avoid confusion after a long sentence.
• To add emphasis in a reply: Ellos desean cambiar las reglas.

In neutral statements, “they wish” usually appears as a verb alone: Desean viajar, Quisieran ayudar. The pronoun rests in the background unless clarity or emphasis needs it.

Indicative Vs Subjunctive After Desear

One detail that often puzzles learners is the choice between infinitive and subjunctive clauses after desear:

• Desear + infinitive when the subject stays the same:
  Desean ganar. – They wish to win.
• Desear que + subjunctive when another subject appears:
  Desean que su equipo gane. – They wish that their team wins.

The subjunctive reflects that the second clause describes a desired result, not an established fact. Teaching resources on the subjunctive often stress this link between wishes and subjunctive forms, such as guides that contrast indicative facts with subjunctive wishes and doubts.DELE Ahora – Subjuntivo overview

Word Order With Ojalá

Ojalá almost always comes at the start of the clause, followed by either que plus a subject and verb, or directly by the verb:

• Ojalá que ellos consigan el contrato.
• Ojalá consigan el contrato.

The Real Academia Española explains in its usage guide that ojalá can stand alone as an answer (—¿Crees que ganarán? —Ojalá.) or introduce a full clause with either form. Both patterns carry the same basic meaning of desire or hope.Diccionario panhispánico de dudas – ojalá

Second Reference Table: Verb Forms For They Wish In Spanish

This second table gathers the most frequent verb forms you’ll meet when expressing “they wish” in Spanish. Use it as a quick check while reading or writing.

English Sense	Verb Form	Sample Sentence
Present desire	ellos desean	Ellos desean cambiar de ciudad.
Past repeated desire	ellos deseaban	Ellos deseaban pasar más tiempo juntos.
Polite present wish	ellos quisieran	Ellos quisieran hablar contigo ahora.
Hope about present / near future	ojalá + pres. subj.	Ojalá lleguen a la fiesta.
Unreal present wish	ojalá + past subj.	Ojalá ellos vivieran aquí.
Unreal past wish	ojalá + past perf. subj.	Ojalá ellos hubieran venido.
Sarcastic reply	¡Ya quisieran!	—Dicen que ganan millones. —¡Ya quisieran!

Common Mistakes With They Wish In Spanish

Even intermediate learners sometimes trip over “they wish” in Spanish. Here are frequent errors and ways to fix them.

Using Indicative Instead Of Subjunctive

A natural reflex is to say:

Desean que todo sale bien. ❌

Spanish prefers the subjunctive, so the corrected version is:

Desean que todo salga bien. ✅

The same pattern applies to other clauses that depend on desire:

• Desean que su hijo consiga trabajo pronto.
• Deseaban que sus amigos llegaran antes.

Overusing Desear Where Ojalá Sounds Better

A sentence such as:

Ellos desean que mañana no llueva.

works, but many native speakers would default to:

Ojalá mañana no llueva.

Both match a wish about the weather. The second choice feels lighter and more conversational, so it wins in most day-to-day contexts.

Forgetting That They Wish Can Mean They Would Like

In English, “they wish” sometimes sounds formal but still covers regular requests in letters or emails. Spanish often handles those with querer in the conditional or simple present:

• Quieren hablar contigo sobre el contrato. – They wish to speak with you about the contract.
• Querrían reservar otra habitación. – They wish to book another room.

Thinking of “they wish” as “they would like” helps you pick between querer, desear, and ojalá according to formality and context.

Practice Sentences With They Wish In Spanish

To make the patterns stick, try matching these English sentences with Spanish versions. Answers follow right after, so you can check yourself quickly.

1. They wish they could live by the sea.
2. They wish that their son would call more often.
3. They wish they had studied Spanish earlier.
4. They wish! (after hearing a wild claim).
5. They wish to speak with the manager.

Possible answers:

1. Ojalá pudieran vivir junto al mar.
2. Desean que su hijo llame más a menudo.
3. Ojalá hubieran estudiado español antes.
4. ¡Ya quisieran!
5. Ellos desean hablar con el gerente. / Quisieran hablar con el gerente.

Final Thoughts On They Wish In Spanish

English wraps many shades of meaning inside “they wish.” Spanish spreads those shades across verbs such as desear and querer, the special word ojalá, and sharp little replies like ¡Ya quisieran! Once you match each English sentence to a pattern in this guide, you can talk about desires, hopes, regrets, and sarcastic comments with far more confidence.

When in doubt, think about what “they wish” really expresses: a plain desire, a hope about something outside their control, a regret, or a skeptical reaction. Then choose between desean, desean que, ojalá, or ¡Ya quisieran! With steady practice, “they wish” in Spanish stops being a puzzle and turns into a familiar set of tools you can use in real conversations.