"¡Ojalá bailara como tú!" in English

Question

Would "¡Ojalá bailara como tú!" be translated in English as:

"I wish I could dance like you" or "I wish I danced like you" or "I wish to dance like you" ?

Please note that "¡Ojalá bailara como tú!" replaces "Me gustaría bailar como tú".

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Answer 1

Or simpy:If only I were able to dance like you.. ( This is no different from Bosque's answer but may help your use of the subjunctive.

Sí! Or "If only I could dance like you" - Doesn't this sound more natural? and there's still the sense of the imperfect subjunctive with "If only" as in your answer. Gracias annierats - Heracles1, Jun 5, 2015

You can use either, but if you use' if I were' you actually use the English subjunctive, which may or may not help you.. It's helped me, for what that is worth. - annierats, Jun 5, 2015

Answer 2

"I wish I could dance like you" or "I wish I danced like you" or "I wish to dance like you" ?

x

"¡Ojalá bailara como tú!"

To me answer number 2: "I wish I danced like you" (but I wish I had danced like you is "¡Ojalá hubiera bailado como tú!")

For 1- "I wish I could dance like you"

I would say "¡Ojalá pudiera/supiera bailar como tú!" (the choice depends on whether the deficit is physically that you can’t or don’t have the knowledge)

For 3- "I wish to dance like you"- I would probably use desear or querer, the closest I can come up with Ojalá is:

"¡Ojalá baile como tú!"

Which to me says I hope that I dance like you. (at some point previously delineated, or you could add algún día)

I am an intermediate level learner so wait for other input as well.

Tal cual! - chileno, Jun 5, 2015

Gracias Bosquederoble. No. 2 seems closest to a literal trans, but isn't No. 1 using the conditional more naturally said in English, despite it being subjunctive in Spanish? If I understand chileno right, maybe I'm being pedantic. - Heracles1, Jun 5, 2015

I tried to give you the most precise translations. Chileno appreciates exact translations. I often translate the concept the way it would be most natural in a language, and almost said either of the first two would be fine. - bosquederoble, Jun 5, 2015

But given that it was a choice between the two I felt it better to demonstrate the subtle differences in meaning, as being more educational. :) - bosquederoble, Jun 5, 2015