How to Say Hopefully and I Wish in Portuguese: Tomara, Quem Dera and Oxalá

How do you say hopefully in Portuguese? Here in Brazil we say "tomara", and you'll almost always hear it as "tomara que" followed by a verb in the presente do subjuntivo: "tomara que não chova amanhã" (hopefully it won't rain tomorrow). So if you've been wondering how to say I hope in Portuguese, this is your word: it's the most natural way to say you want something to happen and you believe it really can.

But it's not your only option. "Quem dera" is how we say I wish in Portuguese, pretty close to the Spanish ojalá, and we save it for wishes that are unlikely or almost impossible, kind of like saying "if only!" in English: "quem dera se eu ganhasse na loteria". And "oxalá" does exist and comes from Arabic, but in Brazil you'll barely hear it in everyday conversation; it's much more common in Portugal.

In this lesson I'll explain the meaning of tomara, when to use quem dera and which one to pick in each situation, with phrases to practice, quotes from Brazilian authors and a video so you can hear the pronunciation exactly the way we use it in Brazil.

Video: How to Say Hopefully in Portuguese With 'Tomara' and 'Quem Dera'

In this video I show you how to say hopefully in Portuguese with the two expressions you'll hear the most in Brazil, "tomara" and "quem dera", and when to use each one. It's also a great way to practice pronunciation and intonation exactly the way we use them in a real conversation.

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Oxalá, Tomara, Quem Dera: Which One Should You Use in Portuguese?

All three can translate as hopefully or I wish, but the difference comes down to how likely the wish is: "tomara" is for things that can actually happen, "quem dera" is for the hard or nearly impossible, and "oxalá" sounds formal and is more common in Portugal than in Brazil.

A trick I always give my students: if in English you'd say "I hope", use tomara; if you'd say "I wish" or "if only", use quem dera. And if the subjunctive gives you a headache, check out this verb tense that doesn't exist in English and that we use all the time in Brazil: the futuro do subjuntivo in Portuguese.

Tomara - Phrases to Practice

Tomara means hopefully or "I hope", and we use it when the wish has a real chance of coming true. The most common structure is "tomara que" + presente do subjuntivo, although in a quick chat we also just answer "tomara!", the same way you'd say "hopefully!" or "fingers crossed!" in English.

• Já faz umas duas semanas que ele tá pelejando pra resolver esse pepino, tomara que dê tudo certo.
• O pessoal tá muito empolgado pra subir o Pão de Açúcar amanhã, tomara que não chova.
• Tomara que seu visto de residente seja aprovado.

Here it's used with the sense of: "so be it, I really hope so."

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“Não se pode dizer para a primavera 'tomara que chegue logo e dure bastante'. Pode-se apenas dizer: 'venha, me abençoe com sua esperança, e fique o máximo de tempo que puder'.”
- Paulo Coelho

About the word "oxalá" in Portuguese.

• Etymology: Oxalá, from the Arabic en xā llāẖ, "God willing".
  Religion: Oxalá is one of the most important orixás in the Afro-Brazilian religions Candomblé and Umbanda.

Quem Dera - Phrases to Practice

Quem dera means something like "I wish" or "if only": we use it for hard or nearly impossible wishes, often with a touch of irony. It almost always goes with the imperfeito do subjuntivo, and you'll also hear the version "quem me dera", which means exactly the same thing.

• - E aí, imagino que você veio pra passar pelo menos uns 3 meses de férias aqui né?
  - Nossa, quem dera se eu pudesse passar tanto tempo assim longe do trampo.
• Quem dera se eu tivesse acertado os números da loteria.
• Quem dera se eu pudesse viajar pelo mundo sem me preocupar com dinheiro.

Here it's used with the sense of "it would be so nice if that were the case."

“Gostar de alguém é função do coração, mas esquecer, não. É tarefa da nossa cabecinha, que aliás é nossa em termos: tem alguma coisa lá dentro que age por conta própria, sem dar satisfação. Quem dera um esforço de conscientização resolvesse o assunto.”
- Martha Medeiros

Frequently Asked Questions About Hopefully in Portuguese

These are the questions I get the most in the comments about how to say hopefully in Portuguese, answered straight to the point so you can use these expressions with Brazilians without any doubts.

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