Ojalá followed by a past action

Question

I was just checking and correcting some posts on our Subjunctive Game thread and I got to wondering how common it is to follow ojalá with a past action?

I'm not sure why but I have it in my head that 'ojalá' is more commonly followed by future events or past events that didn't happen.

Also, I know it's often followed by the past tense subjunctive - Ojalá que estuvieras aquí etc - but that's not talking about an actual past action either.

Would it sound strange to follow ojalá by an actual past action that is being regretted, and would there be better ways to express 'your wishing' that something 'did' or 'didn't' happen in the past?

Here's the example sentence that got me wondering about it:

I wish he had had more sense and not driven straight into his father's garage, on his first outing with his licence.

So is this fine?

Ojalá él hubiera tenido más sentido común y no hubiera chocado directamente en el garaje de su papá en su primera excursión con su permiso de conducir.

or would it sound more natural in another format?

Hubiera sido ideal que él hubiera tenido más sentido...

Desearía que él hubiera tenido sentido común...

Quisiera que .. etc

and although the following to an English ear sounds like the wishing was also done in the past I'm wondering about something like this:

Hubiera deseado .... Me hubiera gustado....

• how does that come across in Spanish? Which would you suggest as the best way to accurately translate the example sentence?

anyways ... I think I should stop there because 'me vuelvo un ocho'

As always, all help gratefully accepted

I'm glad you liked my example sentence so much! - annierats, Nov 22, 2012

always Annie, always! ;) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 22, 2012

And of course, my feeble attempt at the translation... ;o) - katydew, Nov 22, 2012

not at all, that's why I love sites like this, they make me go away and ask questions and fill in any gaps that I have in my understanding :) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 22, 2012

Good question, Kiwi. - iana01, Nov 26, 2012

Answer 1

You may also say what you have proposed, "hubiera deseado", "Me habría gustado" and even "Me hubiera gustado" instead of "Ojalá", all of them sound good to me, and you may use "ojalá" and the others to express repentance or to lament something that happened.

Example:

• Ojalá nunca te hubiera conocido. (something that I have never heard, of couse )

ah good catch Carlos, sorry I just cut and pasted and didn't check, of course it should be 'con' I'll change it :) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 22, 2012

;-) - -cae-, Nov 22, 2012

So those other examples don't sound like 'I had wished' in the past? rather than 'I wish' in the present? - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 22, 2012

That seems to be something that I would like or not like in the present it that would have happened in the past. - -cae-, Nov 22, 2012

ok perfecto, gracias :) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 22, 2012

Answer 2

Se puede utilizar " ojala "en oraciones en tiempo pasado y futuro.

En pasado: Ojala hubiera tenido mas sentido comun PARA que no hubiera chocado directamente en el garaje de su papá en su primera excursión sin su permiso de conducir.

En futuro Ojala que no llueva mañana para poder jugar fut bol

El " para " te indica el resultado de la primera accion accion

Thanks Kib :) - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 22, 2012

Answer 3

Ok, so I am the one that tried to translate Annie's sentence like this (with corrections). Am I ok now?

Ojalá él hubiera tenido más sentido común para que y no hubiera chocado directamente en el garaje de su papá en su primera excursión con su permiso de conducir.

Hola, Katy. - iana01, Nov 26, 2012