Subjunctive with only one subject...?

Question

I've got a question about the subjunctive. I know there's a general rule that a sentence using the subjunctive must have two subjects. If a sentence only has one subject but fulfills all the other conditions for using the subjunctive, you use the infinitive. But what if it's something like, I wish I had gone to bed earlier or I wish I were thinner? Then what do you use??

Answer 1

Welcome to the forum,

This is a special structure, we use ojalá here.

Ojalá fuera más delgada.

Ojalá me hubiera ido a la cama más temprano.

thank you!! :) - cymrulass, Aug 4, 2010

Answer 2

I think the example given previously, "Quisiera ser mas delgado", is a little unusual. The imperfect subjunctive can be used when addressing another person in a formal and polite context, for example, "Mesero, quisiera tomar otro rojo", but this is not the same. The basic way of expressing this thought, cuando el sujeto es el mismo para los dos verbos, sería así - "Quiero ser más delgado". When one uses ojalá + el subjunctivo, there are actually two subjects, even though the first is impersonal, hence the use of the subjunctive after a verb that expresses wishing. And, as gfreed points out, you can have two subjects but only imply the first one, therefore the part you say is also in the subjunctive.

Answer 3

The are a lot of abbreviated/truncated phrasings that only show one subject but the 2nd subject is implied.

[Espero] ¡Que tenga un buen día!

But I'm talking about when the two subjects are the same.... - cymrulass, Aug 4, 2010

Answer 4

Tambien:

Quisiera ser más delgada¡!

¡Quisiera haber ido a la cama más temprano!

That's conditional, not subjunctive. - rockdown667, Aug 4, 2010