esperar menos
/espeɾaɾ menos/from spelling rules
The English phrase "expect less" is translated into Spanish as esperar menos.
The phrase is used when a person wants to lower their hopes or requirements for a specific outcome. In informal settings, you might instead use the expression no esperar gran cosa to mean "not expecting much" or no hacerse muchas ilusiones to mean "not getting one's hopes up".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb esperar (which means both "to wait" and "to expect") and the adverb menos (meaning "less").
How does it change in a sentence?
When giving advice to someone else using the subjunctive mood, such as in the sentence "I hope you expect less," you would use the form esperes menos.
How do you pronounce it?
/espeɾaɾ menos/
Did you know?
- The expression no hacerse ilusiones uses ilusiones, which in English usually means a trick of the eye, but in Spanish often refers to positive, hopeful dreams.
- In Spanish, the verb esperar is used for both waiting for a bus and expecting a promotion. This makes phrases like esperar menos ambiguous without context, as it could mean 'wait for a shorter time' or 'have lower expectations'.
- The word menos is a direct descendant of the Latin word minus, which is where English gets the word 'minus' used in mathematics.
Examples in context
- Espero que esperen menos de míI hope they expect less from me
- No deberíamos esperar mucho de esta situaciónWe shouldn't expect much from this situation
- No debemos tener grandes expectativas respecto a los resultadosWe should not have high expectations regarding the results
- No esperes mucho de esa películaDon't expect much from that movie
- No espero gran cosa de la reuniónI don't expect much from the meeting
- No te hagas muchas ilusiones, puede que no salga como esperasDon't get your hopes up, it might not turn out as you expect
- No esperes mucho de él, siempre llega tarde a todas partes.Don't expect much from him, he's always late everywhere.
- No hacerse muchas ilusiones es importante para no sufrir desilusiones luego.Not getting one's hopes up is important not to suffer disappointments later.
- No deberíamos tener grandes expectativas sobre este nuevo proyecto hasta que veamos los resultados.We shouldn't have high expectations about this new project until we see the results.
- Para no decepcionarte, es mejor esperar menos.To not be disappointed, it is better to expect less.
- Debes esperar menos de él.You should expect less from him.
- Prefiero esperar menos para no decepcionarme.I prefer to expect less so I don't get disappointed.
- Es mejor esperar menos en estas situaciones.It is better to expect less in these situations.
Example conversation
María and Mateo are talking about a cheap hotel they booked.
- MaríaEl hotel parece muy viejo en las fotos.The hotel looks very old in the photos.
- MateoSí, es muy barato, así que hay que esperar menos.Yes, it's very cheap, so we have to expect less.
- MaríaTienes razón, Mateo. Solo queremos dormir allí.You're right, Mateo. We just want to sleep there.
- MateoExacto, no busquemos un lujo innecesario.Exactly, let's not look for unnecessary luxury.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries esperar, menos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
