espera
/esˈpeɾa/
The English phrase "hold it" is translated into Spanish as espera.
The phrase is an imperative used to tell someone to stop or wait for a moment.
Which one should you use?
While espera is used with friends, family or people younger than you, espere is used for formal situations. A common variation to add a sense of brevity is espera un segundo, meaning "hold it a second".
How do you pronounce it?
/esˈpeɾa/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word espera shares a common ancestor with the English word 'desperate'. Both words derive from the Latin root for 'hope', though 'desperate' describes the loss of it.
- Depending on the region, you might hear aguanta instead of espera to mean 'hold it'. This replaces the idea of 'waiting' with the idea of 'enduring' or 'resisting' the urge to move.
- The verb esperar is a linguistic chameleon that can mean both 'to wait' and 'to hope'. Depending on the context, telling someone espera could mean you want them to hold on a moment or that you are wishing for something to happen.
Examples in context
- Espera.Hold it!This sentence demonstrates the use of espera as a direct command.Tatoeba #3273993 by Shishir, translation #280203 by CK
- Espera un momento.Hold it for a second.This sentence shows how to use espera when asking someone to hold it for a short duration.Tatoeba #1237074 by Shishir, translation #2647166 by CK
- Oye, espera un momento, necesito buscar las llaves antes de salir.Hey, hold it for a moment, I need to find my keys before we go out.
- ¡Espera! Todavía no estás listo.Hold it! You are not ready yet.
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are walking to the train station.
- DanielEspera, creo que nos equivocamos de camino.Hold it, I think we took the wrong way.
- ElenaTienes razón, el mapa dice otra cosa.You're right, the map says something else.
- DanielVamos a dar la vuelta ahora mismo.Let's turn around right now.
- ElenaEstá bien, Daniel, yo te sigo.That's fine, Daniel, I'll follow you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry espera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries espera, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
