I'm rooting for him to fail

Question

I wonder how you would say rooting? Is there an equivelant? Espero que le fallará is what comes to the top of my head.

Answer 1

You an say:

Estoy rezando para que falles.

If this is an exam: ..para que suspendas.

¡Ojalá supendas/falles!

All the rest of the suggestions are not correct.

• Now that's what I call a blunt assessment. Talk about cheering someone on! Everyone to the dunce corner! - qfreed May 29, 2010
• I agree absolutely. Unfortunately we do not have in Spanish an expression that works as smoothly as "rooting to fail". Other options: "Voy a que falles", "Apuesto a que falles". - Gekkosan May 29, 2010
• Jejeje!...maybe I'll go to the dunce corner for this, but you made a spelling error: *can*. - Bichoraro May 29, 2010

Answer 2

Perhaps cheering would be an equivalent. So maybe "estoy aclamando que le fallará"?

• ¡Te voto! :) - Jason7R May 29, 2010
• The phrase does have a certain tone of irony... y gracias! - Bichoraro May 29, 2010

Answer 3

Bichoraro!!!!!!!!! That's what I was going to say!! Maybe use the verb to cheer which is "aclamar" so Estoy aclamando que le fallará. Hope this helps, by the way Bichoraro, you didn't have the "n" in the word "aclamando".

• Oh, how forgetful of me! =) - Bichoraro May 29, 2010
• :) - Jason7R May 29, 2010

Answer 4

Te estaré animando is the way to say 'I will be rooting/cheering for you' But somehow it doesn't sound so good to say 'Te estaré animando a fracasar' doesn't sound quite right....

Answer 5

I always thought of animar as to cheer and aclamar as to shout something out, like to clamor. Animadora cheerleader etc... but I can't imagine cheering for someone to lose. But you can root for someone to lose. I wonder how that works itself out.

• Hi, unless things have changed, aclamar was used more formally, pretty well a real cognate for English and with that idea, but animar can be 'cheer up' as well as 'encourage' so .. I don't know, you do find good ones - margaretbl May 29, 2010

Answer 6

To cheer, to root, animar, aclamar, are all wishes for a positive outcome. So your guess of, Espero que falle is only way to say it and make any sense.

Answer 7

First time I ever heard "rooting" used for a negative end. I thought it was understood that "rooting for" means hoping he/she/it will succeed, encouraging whoever needs to be encouraged etc.