esperar
/espeˈɾaɾ/
In Spanish, "wait for" is expressed as esperar.
Esperar means to stay in one place or delay an action until a person arrives or an event occurs. Because it is a polysemous verb, it can also mean "to hope" depending on the context of the sentence.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are waiting for a person or a specific entity, the verb esperar is often followed by the preposition a.
How do you pronounce it?
/espeˈɾaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers frequently use esperar por because of the direct translation of "wait for," but in many Spanish dialects, using esperar a is the more natural way to express waiting for a person.
Did you know?
- The English word 'despair' is a direct linguistic cousin to the Spanish esperar. While 'despair' means to lose all hope, it is built from the same root that gives esperar its meaning of waiting and hoping.
- While esperar is the standard word for waiting, Spanish speakers often use the phrase hacer cola or hacer fila when waiting for their turn in a line.
- While English speakers use 'for' to link 'wait' and a person, using 'por' with esperar can sometimes change the meaning to 'to wait on behalf of someone' in certain contexts.
Examples in context
- No te quiere esperar.He doesn't want to wait for you.This sentence shows how to use esperar with a person.Tatoeba #1748359 by marcelostockle, translation #1579398 by fanty
- Esperar a la policía.Wait for the police.This sentence demonstrates waiting for a specific entity.Tatoeba #6003352 by albrusgher, translation #5353389 by CK
- Puedo esperar por ti.I can wait for you.This sentence shows an instance of the common English-influenced construction using esperar.Tatoeba #6003372 by albrusgher, translation #64310 by CK
- Por favor, espere un momento.Please wait for a moment.
- Esperamos su llegada.We await your arrival.
- Le ruego que aguarde un momento.I beg you to wait for a moment.
- Aguardamos su respuesta formal.We await your formal response.
- ¡Espera un momentito!Wait for a moment!
- Espero tu llamada.I'm waiting for your call.
- Aguanta un poco más, ya llego.Hold on a little longer, I'm almost there.
- Cuídame cinco minutos, por favor.Wait for me five minutes, please.
- 112 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Mateo are at a bus stop.
- MaríaDebemos esperar el autobús aquí.We must wait for the bus here.
- Mateo¿Cuánto tiempo hay que esperar?How long do we have to wait?
- MaríaNo sé, pero no te desesperes.I don't know, but don't despair.
- MateoEstá bien, esperaré contigo.Okay, I will wait with you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry esperar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries esperar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
