espérez

Espérer is a French verb meaning to hope. It is a regular member of the first conjugation group (-er verbs) but shows a characteristic stem change in the present tense. It is used to express desire or expectation that something will happen, often in clauses introduced by que, or in direct statements of hope.

Etymology and history: The verb comes from Old French esperer, derived from Latin sperare “to hope.” The modern form espérer reflects orthographic and phonetic developments in French from the Middle Ages to the present. It is closely related to related verbs such as désespérer (to despair) and espérance (hope, expectation), the latter often appearing as a noun.

Conjugation and forms: In the present tense, the forms are j'espère, tu espères, il espère, nous espérons, vous espérez, ils espèrent, with a stem that carries distinct accents in the singular forms. Beyond present, espérer follows typical -er patterns in most tenses, but the stem adapts to mood and tense (e.g., imparfait espérais/espéraient, futur espérerai/espéreront, subjonctif présent espère/espérions/espériez). The imperative forms are espère (tu), espérons (nous), espérez (vous). The word can also appear in conditional constructions such as j’espérerais.

Usage and nuances: Espérer denotes hope for a favorable outcome rather than certainty. It governs clauses that express wishes, expectations, or optimistic beliefs, often with que and a following finite verb in the subjunctive or indicative depending on nuance. It is common in everyday speech, journalism, and literature, with usage extending to questions and negations (n'espérons pas, je n'espère pas).

See also: espérance, désespérer, espérances.