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I read the sentence below and believe it translates to something like "enjoy your trip to the US".

Que disfutes tu viaje a US

In google translate "Que disfutes" translates to "enjoy it" is this correct? I don't quite understand the use of Que in this sentence? Of course this could simply be a case of where I should not be trying to translate every single word.

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    Think of it as a short way to say "Espero/deseo que disfrutes..." What you are expressing here is "I wish/want that you enjoy ..."
    – DGaleano
    Jan 3, 2018 at 13:32
  • Do draw an analogue to English, it’s like saying “May you enjoy your trip.” It’s a bit more polite and/or indirect than “Enjoy your trip.” You can also use the construction to give commands to people other than the listener, such as in: «Son las 11:30 de la noche, ¡que tu novio se vaya ya!».
    – gen-ℤ ready to perish
    Jan 3, 2018 at 19:43

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Think of it as a short way to say

Espero/deseo que disfrutes...

What you are expressing here is

I wish/want that you enjoy ...

You could also say "Disfruta tu viaje" same as in English where it is common to simply say "Enjoy your trip" or just "Enjoy!".

In this case even if "disfruta tu viaje" is in imperative form the meaning and the intention is usually understood as the same as in "espero que disfrutes tu viaje" which is a wish for you to enjoy your trip.

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  • What's interesting about this construction is that the que isn't actually necessary. But over time, the use of subjunctive in a stand-alone sentence (where the English translation is roughly "may" + verb, for example, "hágase tu voluntad" "may your will be done") has decreased greatly and now is almost always done with the initial que.
    – user0721090601
    Jan 3, 2018 at 16:14
  • @guifa Do you think that perhaps there are also regional differences?. I recognize as correct saying "Espero disfrutes..." and it sounds very natural if I hear from i.e a Spaniard, but it sounds strange to me if I say it out loud. The que is "almost" compulsory for me (as Colombian).
    – DGaleano
    Jan 3, 2018 at 19:21
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    The lack of que in a sentence that has a indicative main clause actually sounds weird to me in general. It's almost exclusively used with the verbs esperar, rogar, pedir, etc, in writing (if it's done in speech, it must be regional, I can't picture a madrileño saying it out loud). But I was referring to sentences whose main clause is in the subjunctive. For example, "Válgame Dios" or "Sea así o no", which can vary with connotations ranging from imperative (Espero que dios me valga) to possible (puede que sea así o no). Those are fixed expressions now, but it was more open in the past.
    – user0721090601
    Jan 3, 2018 at 19:29
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Note first of all that the verb disfrutar is in the subjunctive so this is a wish almost corresponding to an imperative. If you omitted the Que it would sound much harsher like a command which is probably not the intention. The usage of que here is an idiom in the sense of idiom - do not try to translate it just accept that is how it is.

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This is a construction and it has a consistent meaning:

Que disfutes tu viaje a Miami. | May you enjoy your trip to Miami.

Note the subjunctive after "que".

You're right that while a word-for-word approach works occasionally, more generally, it's best to learn how to deal with expressions that are more than one word long.

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