What Does Tomara Que Mean? Express Hope in Portuguese
Tomara que means ‘I hope that’ or ‘let’s hope that’ and is commonly followed by a subjunctive verb for a desired or uncertain outcome.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Tomara que introduces a hope about something that has not been confirmed. It can mean ‘I hope that’ or ‘let’s hope that.’ The phrase works in everyday conversation and often sounds more expressive than espero que.
Use tomara que to express a wish
After tomara que, Brazilian Portuguese commonly uses the present subjunctive for a desired future outcome: tomara que dê certo (I hope it works out). Start with useful complete chunks before memorizing every verb ending.
Tomara que o tempo melhore amanhã.
I hope the weather gets better tomorrow.
Tomara que você consiga chegar cedo.
I hope you manage to arrive early.
Tomara que dê tudo certo na entrevista.
I hope everything goes well at the interview.
Notice the subjunctive in common verbs
Some high-frequency subjunctive forms look different from present-tense forms you may know: seja (from ser), esteja (from estar), and tenha (from ter). Hear and practise them in full wishes rather than translating each word separately.
Tomara que can also stand alone as a reaction when the hoped-for result is clear. The listener supplies the rest: a bus arriving, a plan working, or a friend feeling better.
Tomara que ela esteja melhor logo.
I hope she feels better soon.
Tomara que seja verdade.
I hope it’s true.
O ônibus vai chegar a tempo? — Tomara!
Will the bus arrive in time? — I hope so!
Put it into practice
Tomara que introduces a wish and commonly takes the subjunctive. Memorize useful patterns such as tomara que dê certo, tomara que seja, and tomara que você consiga.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Will the bus arrive in time? — I hope so”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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