Esperaste

Esperaste is the second-person singular form of the Spanish verb esperar in the pretérito indefinido (preterite) indicative. It describes a completed past action and translates as "you waited" or "you hoped," depending on the context. The verb esperar itself comes from the Latin exspectare, meaning to look out for, to expect, or to wait.

In its conjugation, the stem is esper- and the ending -aste marks the second-person singular in the preterite for -ar verbs. The full preterite paradigm for esperar is: esperé, esperaste, esperó, esperamos, esperasteis, esperaron. The form esperaste can sometimes be confused with the present tense form esperamos (we wait / we hope) in written text, but context and time markers typically clarify the meaning.

Usage notes include that esperaste can express a simple past action—such as waiting for someone or something ("Ayer esperaste al autobús durante media hora")—as well as a sense of hope or expectation in clauses introduced by que: "Esperaste que llegara a tiempo." In many Spanish-speaking varieties, the verb also appears in expressions of anticipation or desire, where the nuance shifts with the subordinate clause or modal context.

Related forms and equivalents include other preterite conjugations of esperar (yo esperé, tú esperaste, él esperó, etc.) and synonyms such as aguardar. The word remains common in everyday Spanish and is part of the broader set of deictic and temporal expressions used to situate past actions or expectations.