you wish!

INFORMAL
This page is about the conversational phrase you wish!

Meaning

You can say this to someone if they're hoping something very unlikely will happen.

For example

  • "Wow! That singer's so cute. Do you think he'd go out with me?"
    "Hah! You wish!"

  • "If I train really hard, I'll be the champion of the world one day!"
    "You wish!"

Note:
Be careful when using this. It's fine to say it to friends who aren't being very serious. But if you say it to someone who is being serious, they could find it insulting or upsetting, as in "We're trying to have another baby." "You wish!"

Quick Quiz

If someone says "You wish!", they must think what you've said is

a. quite possible

b. wishful thinking

c. worth wishing for
a) quite possible b) wishful thinking c) worth wishing for

Contributor: Matt Errey