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This is a word I've always had trouble with. I can say "Je suis plein d'espoir" to say I am hopeful, but how can I idiomatically express that something will hopefully happen? Phrases like "avec un peu de chance" do not feel very idiomatic to me nor accurate in meaning.

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    peut etre is one possible translation.
    – Saurabh Raje
    Apr 9, 2015 at 16:53

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“Avec un peu de chance” is to me most idiomatic way to translate “hopefully”.

I never saw “avec espoir” used actually, and well even if it doesn't seems like it is, “avec un peu de chance” is often used, and perfectly accurate.

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    Avec espoir voir l'exemple (un peu loufoque) au Cambridge.
    – user3177
    Apr 9, 2015 at 4:34
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I think @servabat is right. Another way would be to reformulate the whole sentence.

  • On peut espérer que...
  • En espérant que...
  • J'ai bon espoir de...
  • Il y a fort à parier que...
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    On pourrait aussi ajouter « Dans l'espoir de... » selon le contexte.
    – None
    Apr 8, 2015 at 18:30
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i'm french and i agree with "espérons que" (let's hope that...). - sorry i can't comment nor vote Papa Poule's answer up yet because i don't have enough reputation.

There is no word to translate "hopefully" literally and i think you should avoid to stick to find one, but construct the sentence differently (with "espérons que")

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  • ...and beware that "Espérons que" is followed by subjunctive
    – kro
    Apr 9, 2015 at 16:12
  • Thanks for your kind mention and especially for the gentle warning about the subjunctive! I've left "ira" but added "aille" to my answer and a link that seems to say that there is not total agreement on the "Espérons que + subjunctive" issue. "Espérer + subjunctive" in negative forms and question forms was/is pretty clear to me, but I'm still not absolutely sure about it in its imperative form. Regardless, thanks again and +1.
    – Papa Poule
    Apr 9, 2015 at 17:26
  • oh right ! you can use subjunctive or future ! I would say that subjonctive is a bit more formal and works for both present or future event : In your exemple "ira" clearly refers to a future event, while "aille" can refer to both present or near future.
    – kro
    Apr 9, 2015 at 18:13
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Probably less idiomatic than the first two good answers and their comments, but I often use the imperative/suggestive form “Espérons que” to express the notion of “hopefully”/(“Let’s hope that …"):

“Espérons que tout ira/aille bien”

(But if you’re all alone talking or thinking to yourself [and you don’t have a tapeworm], I suppose this plural notion might be out of place and/or taken as an example of the “royal we”).

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Sometimes something as simple as:

j'espère que, on espère que

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You can complement the sentence (without "hopefully") with "croisons les doigts", or "espérons-le"/"Je l'espère", or "soyons optimiste". For instance, with

Hopefully, this answer will get some votes:

  • Soyons optimistes, cette réponse recevra quelques votes,
  • Cette réponse recevra quelques votes, je l'espère,
  • J'espère que cette réponse recevra quelques votes,
  • Croisons les doigts, cette réponse recevra quelques votes.
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