"I hope that..."

[Ertai87]

How do you say "I hope that..." in Japanese? It's probably the only major grammar point I have yet to learn, but it seems to come up a lot and I want to know how to say it without splicing English into my Japanese. For example, "I hope you had fun today" or "I hope you have a safe trip home" or something like that.

[Akihiko Yamamoto Hozagaki]

Hm... well, you can technically use ほしい, but I know (I hope) what you're looking for.

I know a couple ways, (one of which I learned today by research XD!):

そうでないことを望む。
望む - to wish, to desire, to hope

あなたの成功を期待しています。
期待しています - to hope (of course 期待 is an expectation or hope, but combined with しています you get the verb)

彼女は私を助けてくれると思う。
思う - to think (this can work as "hope" apparently, but I'm not entirely sure. since I just learned this one)

I hope that helps, or at least is correct. I should really practice more. I would recommend 期待しています out of them all.

[Datenshi]

The most common way method is to tack 「～といい（です）」 somewhere in the sentence.

"I hope you had fun today" -> 今日は楽しかったといいです（が）
"I hope you have a safe trip home" -> 無事に家まで帰れるといいです (be careful in cases like these, or you might sound like you think the chances are the person will probably not make it home safely. o.O;;)

[Ertai87]

I remember hearing something about using ように this way...what's that about?

[Ruby_MoonT]

for the safe trip home, you can just say 気を付けてね, lit.: be careful (on your way home)

I'm not too sure what you mean by using ように. Is it like 今日は楽しんだようだ or something like that? But that changes the meaning of the sentence to "it seems that you've enjoyed your day today". As for the other situation might turn out like 気を付けるように, but then that makes it sound like you're instructing the other person to be careful on their way home, rather than just hoping/wishing for their safe trip.

[Ertai87]

Ah, is that what it is? When I was in Japan, we went to a few temples and I saw someone has written on one of those plaques something with ように and my prof pointed it out, but I didn't quite get it.

So of the ones presented by Datenshi and Pengin-san, what would be the best way? I don't want the "but I don't think it'll happen" version.

[stop_rewind]

yea ive seen those too on some temples (i also went to japan with a class in university)

[Datenshi]

「～（であります）ように」 is like a wish, and usually it's not addressed to anyone in particular (or in the case of a temple, to the god that resides there). I believe what you saw was something like the following:

明日が晴れますように (please let it be sunny tomorrow)
テストで百点が取れますように (please let me ace this test)


So of the ones presented by Datenshi and Pengin-san, what would be the best way? I don't want the "but I don't think it'll happen" version.
I can only say it would depend largely on the time, place, and situation, as well as the way you say it (the tone of your voice). Don't worry, if you sound sincere enough the person will probably know what you meant -__^

[Ruby_MoonT]

Ah, is that what it is? When I was in Japan, we went to a few temples and I saw someone has written on one of those plaques something with ように and my prof pointed it out, but I didn't quite get it.

ah those ^^ those plaques are called "ema"　絵馬 and can be seen at shrines. people write their wishes on them, often around New Years when Japanese people visit shrines for "hatsumoude" 初詣

in that case, ように is used in context to praying to the gods and means something like "please let me become this way". but it doesn't have to be used in praying to the gods. you can also say something like "野菜を食べられるようになりたい", I hope I can "learn to" eat vegetables, if that person doesn't like vegetables but hopes to be able to eat more.

[Ertai87]

So, for example, here's a couple of scenarios that came up with me that I wanted to use "I hope that...". Try to translate these. I'm providing contexts as well.

1) One of the Japanese exchange students at my university was going back to Japan. I knew him well, as we were both members of a club we were both very active in. I wanted to say to him (over the internet, so voice is not an issue here) "I hope you have a safe flight back to Japan".

2) A Japanese student came to Canada (I'm Canadian irl) for a program in the summer. He visited my hometown for a day, but I wasn't able to meet up with him. I wanted to say (again, internet) "I hope you had a good time today".

Thanks.

[dabura667]

おｋ I will help you because I was with girlfriend yesterday and had similar sichuation



so I was taking on a date and she look so sad to me, so I said at the end, when I dropped her off

"楽しんでくれればいいんだけど…" tanoshinde kurereba iin dakedo...

this shows some emotions from me

"tanoshinde" = to have fun (-te form)

"kurereba" = kureru, to do something for my sake (meaning I wanted it) in the "if" form (-reba form)

iin dakedo... = when you say "dakedo..." or "kedo..." with kind of a "..." feeling of sadness and trailing voice off it means "but I know you didn't... I'm just saying"

so if I were to translate along with what I implyed as well it would be like

"If you had fun, it would be nice, but... (I know you didn't)"

which has similar tone to the english...




just so you know most of things people post on this thread sounds awkward in Japanese...... except for Pengin-san....


but Pengin-san's post was maybe not too much what you wanted to know, so much as examples of "hope" in english.