Is "espero que tú tengas un gran verano" correct grammar?

Question

I keep trying to think of something to put in yearbooks this year. I've always been awful at it, so I just thought I would say something very usual in spanish. I'm one of, like, 6 kids that take a foreign language at my school, and I'm farthest along, so I thought it fit. But, I would like it to make sense, and be correct. I have figured out how to say it, but I don't know if it is grammatically correct. "Espero que tú tengas un gran verano," is the phrase I came up with, is it right? Can I just say, "Tú tengas un gran verano"? or do I have to include "espero que"?

Thanks! ~Killick

• Espero que tú tengas un gran verano is fine, you just need to get rid of tú (Espero que tengas un gran verano). - webdunce May 28, 2010

Answer 1

If you want to remove "espero que" I would suggest changing the conjugation of tener to the imperative form, which is a command. "ten un gran verano."

Tú is not necessary here, you can omit it. I'm told that if you use "tú" in a sentence it comes across as exaggerating the subject. Kind of like typing "I hope YOU have a great summer."

But your construction seems fine the way it is, though you can choose to remove tú if you like without losing any context.

Answer 2

I keep trying to think of something to put in yearbooks this year. I've always been awful at it, so I just thought I would say something very usual in Spanish. I'm one of 6 kids who take a foreign language at my school, and I'm the furthest along, so I thought it fit. But, I would like it to make sense, and be correct. I have figured out how to say it, but I don't know if it is grammatically correct.

Espero que tengas un gran verano.

Ojalá que tengas un gran verano.

Answer 3

When you use the "ëspero que" part, that makes the "tener" part subjunctive = "tengas".

When you omit the "espero que" part, that makes the "tener" part a command (imperative form), which uses the form "ten" for a familiar affirmative command.

As Julian and Fred said, you can omit the "tú".

So, using your examples, you could say either:

Espero que tengas un gran verano

or

Ten un gran verano

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about this!

• For an informal command you would use "ten" - Eddy May 28, 2010
• I believe tengas is only used in the negation of a command, Pajaro. "No tengas" would be acceptable, but for tú commands you should use ten. For usted commands you use "tenga." - Fredbong May 28, 2010
• Tengas is not an imperative conjunction. - Eddy May 28, 2010
• Gracias, gracias--I always have trouble with "ten"! - Pajaro44 May 28, 2010
• For tú commands, you usually just drop the s off the end of the present tense tú verb (tiene), but tener is irregular and so there is a special tú command -- ten. Negative tú commands always use the subjunctive (no tengas) as Fred said. - webdunce May 28, 2010
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Answer 4

I would say "(tú) pases"

Answer 5

Interesting Eddy, why "pases" instead of "ten" here, for you that is. Preference such as more your style? Just wondering, as I hope you know by now I love learning new things (for me that is!!)

Answer 6

Well, I have seen "Que tengas un buen día" for "Have a great day"...So, I'd probably say "Que tengas un gran verano" (literally, "that you would have a great summer").

Whatever you choose, if you use a tú verb, then don't include tú because that is like saying "I hope that YOU have a great summer." (As though you might hope everyone else would have a bad one.) The tú verb endings are sufficient that tú need only be included for purposes of emphasis.

To be clear, though, I'm not a native.

Answer 7

Jason said

Interesting Eddy, why "pases" instead of "ten" here

I was keeping the same format as the poster ie, present subjunctive after "espero que" and also thought an alternative verb may be interesting. I rteally have no preference. My main object when I am in Spain, is to be understood, hehe.