¿Quál es la diferencia?

Question

¡Hola! Tengo dos frases y no sé si significan lo mismo o hay alguna diferencia entre ellas.

¡Ojalá todos los estudiantes pasen todos los exámenes! - entiendo que esta frase se refiere al futuro y que es el deseo de la persona que habla que todos los estudiantes pasen los exámenes.

¡Ojalá todos los estudiantes pasaran todos los exámenes! - se refiere esta frase también al futuro? No entiendo si es igual en el sentido a la primera o tal vez exprese que es irreal que se cumpla el deseo?

¿Podría alguien explicarme la diferencia?

Good question. - rogspax, Nov 12, 2013

Cual....not qual - Rey_Mysterio, Nov 12, 2013

Answer 1

I haven't learnt this in any rule book but it was presented in the following manner by my Spanish teacher( native) on my course recently:

In the first one, using present subjunctive, you're saying it with real hope. ( The exams are yet to come, the students are working hard, there is every chance that they will pass. I hope all the students will pass.. )

The second one, using past subjunctive, there is little or no hope of a positive outcome. ( you know they never study, the whole thing is hopeless, Oh God if only they would pass.. )

A matter of perceived likelyhood.

As you've been so kind, Latte and voted and said thanks, I'ill give you my teacher's version:

Ojalá que me toque la lotería - this is said by the teacher's sister,who buys tickets and thinks she might one day win.

Ojalá que me tocara la lotería- this is said by the teacher herself who believes that buying tickets is as waste of money, hence has a very remote chance of ever winning indeed.

Muchas gracias por la respuesta, ahora lo entiendo :) - latte_art, Nov 12, 2013

I hope it helps, this explanation helped me enormously. - annierats, Nov 12, 2013

that is an awesome explanation Annie. - rogspax, Nov 12, 2013

I had help, Rog, bu tit is actually the simplest and best version I have heard, to date. - annierats, Nov 12, 2013

Answer 2

To clarify excellent answers:

¡Ojalá todos los estudiantes pasen todos los exámenes!

I hope all the students pass all the exams.

Ojalá todos los estudiantes pasaran todos los exámenes!

I wish all the students were to pass all the exams.

Also depending on region, aprobar is preferred over pasar.

Answer 3

I pretty much agree with Annie. They´re very similar, and differ more in revealing the speaker´s mindset, than in the literal reality of what the speaker is saying.

That having been said, I´ve been counseled not to take those two options too rigidly, and that context and tone will trump the differences in those two times of subjunctive alone.

i.e. the first said pessimistically in tone (or known context) would certainly be less hopeful than the latter expressed thoughtfully and positively, and that a lot of it has to do with the speaker´s personal style.

I can only parrot what I´ve been told, and don´t have a real feel for it yet. I´m still at the beginners level where I use the former one just as much because I´ve been told to after ojalá (though it is just starting to gel) as opposed to a real feel like a native, and the latter (imperfect subjunctive) whenever introducing a hypothetical situation.

Y hablando de eso, si no dejo de escribir aquí, no pasaré mi examen mañana. Si estudiara más, los resultados serían mejor. Ojalá pueda concentrar bien.