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My friend tells me that their physics teacher is such a good man, he's always so thoughtful of them to learn the lesson and answers all their questions patiently and as simply as possible, while our physics teacher is sort of a grumpy woman(!) and she always talks down to us so we can't ask anything comfortably.

Now, what can I tell her to show my envy of her situation (obviously this is not a jelousy case), and at the same time my good feelings for her situation? I could say:

"I wish I had your teacher"

...but there are no happy feelings in that. In my own language we have a universal single expression for such moments, that means "I wish I were instead of you and i'm sooo happy for you". What is the equivalent in English?

Does "good for you" work here? I don't think so because she's done nothing to "gain" that teacher, it's just happened to her by chance. Good for you is kind of a praise, However, my case is rather sort of a congratulation to her for her good fortune.

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    "I certainly wish I had your teacher", with strong emphasis on the possessive pronoun, will be understood by native English speakers to convey something very close to what you want.
    – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica
    Jul 15, 2017 at 8:32
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    But you see, you could say "I certainly wish we had your weather" and, if you would but understand the importance of emphasis, be understood exactly as you want. English speakers would grasp your meaning immediately.
    – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica
    Jul 15, 2017 at 8:49
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    @P. E. Dant I just consulted one of my friends and he said "good for you" can be used in such cases too. Do you think he's right? Of course he also suggested a simple "lucky you!" too. Thanks once again.
    – M-J
    Jul 15, 2017 at 8:52
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    Both expressions convey part of what you want, but they are not as idiomatic in these situations as what I provided. Both would require exposition and context. If you just blurt out "Good for you!", the response will be "About what?"
    – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica
    Jul 15, 2017 at 8:57
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    @M-J good for you is sarcastic!
    – Maulik V
    Jul 15, 2017 at 9:34

1 Answer 1

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You want to convey two expressions:

To have the same teacher
She is lucky to have that teacher

You said:

I wish I had your teacher

actually conveys the first part. To include the second expression, you must have one more sentence. I am not aware of any word/phrase that conveys both the meanings.

The third option, one sentence that says both the things:

I wish I was lucky like you to have him (teacher).

It includes you being lucky, in place of her, and to have the teacher!

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  • i'm sorry, but a native speaker would never phrase this sentiment as you have done.
    – P. E. Dant Reinstate Monica
    Jul 15, 2017 at 8:34
  • Of course, I'm not a native! @P.E.Dant
    – Maulik V
    Jul 15, 2017 at 9:33

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