What does esperar mean in English?

Esperar means "to wait/hope" in English.

How do you conjugate esperar in Spanish?

Esperar is conjugated across all Spanish tenses including present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, subjunctive, and more. Each tense has specific conjugations for yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, and ellos/ustedes. You can see complete conjugation tables with audio pronunciations on this page.

What are common idiomatic expressions with esperar?

Common idiomatic expressions using esperar include: "esperar sentado" (don't hold your breath), "hacer esperar" (to keep waiting / to make wait), "como era de esperar" (as expected / as was to be expected). These expressions are frequently used in everyday Spanish conversation.

What should I know about using esperar?

Esperar is a regular -ar verb with three main meanings

What verbs are related to esperar?

Verbs related to esperar include: desesperar. These verbs share similar meanings, stems, or conjugation patterns.

How do you use esperar in a sentence?

Example: "Espero el autobús todos los días." which means "I wait for the bus every day." in English.

What are synonyms for esperar?

Spanish synonyms for esperar include: aguardar. The exact synonym to use depends on the context and specific meaning intended.

Esperar

to wait/hope

🎯

Infinitive (infinitivo)

Base form of the verb

esperar

🏃

Gerund (gerundio)

Present participle (-ing form)

esperando

📋

Past Participle

Used in compound tenses

esperado

Simple Tenses

⚡

Present Indicative (presente de indicativo)

Present actions and habitual activities

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	espero I wait/hope	I wait/hope
tú	esperas you wait/hope	you wait/hope
él/ella/usted	espera he/she/you wait/hopes	he/she/you wait/hopes
nosotros	esperamos we wait/hope	we wait/hope
vosotros	esperáis you all wait/hope	you all wait/hope
ellos/ustedes	esperan they/you all wait/hope	they/you all wait/hope

🕰️

Imperfect Indicative (imperfecto de indicativo)

Ongoing past actions and descriptions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	esperaba I used to wait/hope	I used to wait/hope
tú	esperabas you used to wait/hope	you used to wait/hope
él/ella/usted	esperaba he/she/you used to wait/hope	he/she/you used to wait/hope
nosotros	esperábamos we used to wait/hope	we used to wait/hope
vosotros	esperabais you all used to wait/hope	you all used to wait/hope
ellos/ustedes	esperaban they/you all used to wait/hope	they/you all used to wait/hope

📅

Preterit (pretérito)

Completed past actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	esperé I wait/hoped	I wait/hoped
tú	esperaste you wait/hoped	you wait/hoped
él/ella/usted	esperó he/she/you wait/hoped	he/she/you wait/hoped
nosotros	esperamos we wait/hoped	we wait/hoped
vosotros	esperasteis you all wait/hoped	you all wait/hoped
ellos/ustedes	esperaron they/you all wait/hoped	they/you all wait/hoped

🔮

Future (futuro)

Future actions and intentions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	esperaré I will wait/hope	I will wait/hope
tú	esperarás you will wait/hope	you will wait/hope
él/ella/usted	esperará he/she/you will wait/hope	he/she/you will wait/hope
nosotros	esperaremos we will wait/hope	we will wait/hope
vosotros	esperaréis you all will wait/hope	you all will wait/hope
ellos/ustedes	esperarán they/you all will wait/hope	they/you all will wait/hope

🎯

Conditional (potencial simple)

Hypothetical and conditional actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	esperaría I would wait/hope	I would wait/hope
tú	esperarías you would wait/hope	you would wait/hope
él/ella/usted	esperaría he/she/you would wait/hope	he/she/you would wait/hope
nosotros	esperaríamos we would wait/hope	we would wait/hope
vosotros	esperaríais you all would wait/hope	you all would wait/hope
ellos/ustedes	esperarían they/you all would wait/hope	they/you all would wait/hope

💭

Present Subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo)

Subjective present actions and desires

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	espere that I wait/hope	that I wait/hope
tú	esperes that you wait/hope	that you wait/hope
él/ella/usted	espere that he/she/you wait/hope	that he/she/you wait/hope
nosotros	esperemos that we wait/hope	that we wait/hope
vosotros	esperéis that you all wait/hope	that you all wait/hope
ellos/ustedes	esperen that they/you all wait/hope	that they/you all wait/hope

🌙

Imperfect Subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective past actions and hypothetical situations

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	esperara or esperase that I wait/hoped	that I wait/hoped
tú	esperaras or esperases that you wait/hoped	that you wait/hoped
él/ella/usted	esperara or esperase that he/she/you wait/hoped	that he/she/you wait/hoped
nosotros	esperáramos or esperásemos that we wait/hoped	that we wait/hoped
vosotros	esperarais or esperaseis that you all wait/hoped	that you all wait/hoped
ellos/ustedes	esperaran or esperasen that they/you all wait/hoped	that they/you all wait/hoped

Compound Tenses

✅

Present Perfect (perfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed recently or with present relevance

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	he esperado I have wait/hoped	I have wait/hoped
tú	has esperado you have wait/hoped	you have wait/hoped
él/ella/usted	ha esperado he/she/you have wait/hoped	he/she/you have wait/hoped
nosotros	hemos esperado we have wait/hoped	we have wait/hoped
vosotros	habéis esperado you all have wait/hoped	you all have wait/hoped
ellos/ustedes	han esperado they/you all have wait/hoped	they/you all have wait/hoped

⏪

Pluperfect Indicative (pluscuamperfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	había esperado I had wait/hoped	I had wait/hoped
tú	habías esperado you had wait/hoped	you had wait/hoped
él/ella/usted	había esperado he/she/you had wait/hoped	he/she/you had wait/hoped
nosotros	habíamos esperado we had wait/hoped	we had wait/hoped
vosotros	habíais esperado you all had wait/hoped	you all had wait/hoped
ellos/ustedes	habían esperado they/you all had wait/hoped	they/you all had wait/hoped

📍

Preterit Perfect (pretérito anterior)

Actions completed immediately before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hube esperado I had wait/hoped	I had wait/hoped
tú	hubiste esperado you had wait/hoped	you had wait/hoped
él/ella/usted	hubo esperado he/she/you had wait/hoped	he/she/you had wait/hoped
nosotros	hubimos esperado we had wait/hoped	we had wait/hoped
vosotros	hubisteis esperado you all had wait/hoped	you all had wait/hoped
ellos/ustedes	hubieron esperado they/you all had wait/hoped	they/you all had wait/hoped

🎊

Future Perfect (futuro perfecto)

Actions that will be completed by a future time

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habré esperado I will have wait/hoped	I will have wait/hoped
tú	habrás esperado you will have wait/hoped	you will have wait/hoped
él/ella/usted	habrá esperado he/she/you will have wait/hoped	he/she/you will have wait/hoped
nosotros	habremos esperado we will have wait/hoped	we will have wait/hoped
vosotros	habréis esperado you all will have wait/hoped	you all will have wait/hoped
ellos/ustedes	habrán esperado they/you all will have wait/hoped	they/you all will have wait/hoped

🔄

Conditional Perfect (potencial compuesto)

Actions that would have been completed under certain conditions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habría esperado I would have wait/hoped	I would have wait/hoped
tú	habrías esperado you would have wait/hoped	you would have wait/hoped
él/ella/usted	habría esperado he/she/you would have wait/hoped	he/she/you would have wait/hoped
nosotros	habríamos esperado we would have wait/hoped	we would have wait/hoped
vosotros	habríais esperado you all would have wait/hoped	you all would have wait/hoped
ellos/ustedes	habrían esperado they/you all would have wait/hoped	they/you all would have wait/hoped

💫

Subjunctive Present Perfect (perfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed in relation to the present

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	haya esperado that I have wait/hoped	that I have wait/hoped
tú	hayas esperado that you have wait/hoped	that you have wait/hoped
él/ella/usted	haya esperado that he/she/you have wait/hoped	that he/she/you have wait/hoped
nosotros	hayamos esperado that we have wait/hoped	that we have wait/hoped
vosotros	hayáis esperado that you all have wait/hoped	that you all have wait/hoped
ellos/ustedes	hayan esperado that they/you all have wait/hoped	that they/you all have wait/hoped

🌌

Subjunctive Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hubiera esperado that I had wait/hoped	that I had wait/hoped
tú	hubieras esperado that you had wait/hoped	that you had wait/hoped
él/ella/usted	hubiera esperado that he/she/you had wait/hoped	that he/she/you had wait/hoped
nosotros	hubiéramos esperado that we had wait/hoped	that we had wait/hoped
vosotros	hubierais esperado that you all had wait/hoped	that you all had wait/hoped
ellos/ustedes	hubieran esperado that they/you all had wait/hoped	that they/you all had wait/hoped

❗

Commands (imperativo)

Commands and direct orders

Person	Command	English
tú	espera	wait/hope! (you)
usted	espere	wait/hope! (you formal)
nosotros	esperemos	let's wait/hope!
vosotros	esperad	wait/hope! (you all)
ustedes	esperen	wait/hope! (you all)

🚫

Negative Commands (imperativo negativo)

Negative commands and prohibitions

Person	Command	English
tú	no esperes	don't wait/hope! (you)
usted	no espere	don't wait/hope! (you formal)
nosotros	no esperemos	let's not wait/hope!
vosotros	no esperéis	don't wait/hope! (you all)
ustedes	no esperen	don't wait/hope! (you all)

More About "esperar"

Idiomatic Expressions

esperar sentado

don't hold your breath

💡 Implying something is unlikely to happen

hacer esperar

to keep waiting / to make wait

💡 Causing someone to wait

como era de esperar

as expected / as was to be expected

💡 When something happens as anticipated

contra todo pronóstico

against all expectations

💡 When something happens unexpectedly

no hay mal que cien años dure

nothing lasts forever (when waiting for bad times to end)

💡 Hopeful expression during difficulties

Examples in Context

Espero el autobús todos los días.

I wait for the bus every day.

Present

Esperé dos horas en el consultorio.

I waited two hours at the doctor's office.

Preterite

Espero que tengas un buen día.

I hope you have a good day.

Present

¿Estás esperando a alguien?

Are you waiting for someone?

Present Progressive

No esperaba verte aquí.

I didn't expect to see you here.

Imperfect

Related Verbs

desesperar(to despair, lose hope)

opposite prefix - to despair

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

aguardar(to wait, await)

More formal, especially in writing

Antonyms:

desesperar(to despair)

Usage Notes

•Esperar is a regular -ar verb with three main meanings
•Meanings: to wait (for), to hope, to expect
•Often followed by subjunctive when expressing hope: espero que... (I hope that...)
•Can take direct object without preposition: esperar el tren (to wait for the train)
•With people, use "a": esperar a alguien (to wait for someone)
•Common phrase: "Espera un momento" (Wait a moment)
•Noun form: la esperanza (hope)
•Context determines meaning: esperar noticias (expect), esperar aquí (wait), espero que sí (hope so)

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Esperar

Simple Tenses

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