esperam

Esperam is a Portuguese verb form, the third-person plural of the present indicative of the verb esperar. It is used with eles, elas, and vocês to express that a group or plural address is waiting or hoping. The verb esperar broadly means "to wait," "to expect," or "to hope," and its form esperam therefore carries these senses in contexts such as temporal waiting, expectation of an event, or hopeful anticipation.

Grammatical role

Esperam functions as a finite verb indicating present tense, aspect, and person: it marks ongoing or habitual action in the present for third-person plural subjects. It also appears in everyday conversational and written Portuguese across Portugal, Brazil, and other Lusophone communities.

Examples and usage

Typical uses include sentences like "Eles esperam o autocarro" ("They wait for the bus") and "Vocês esperam boas notícias" ("You [plural] expect good news"). Context determines whether esperar conveys waiting, expecting, or hoping.

Related forms and etymology

Esperam derives from the infinitive esperar; related forms include espero, esperas, esperamos, esperando (gerund), esperado (participle), and esperaram (simple past plural). The verb traces back to Latin sperare, meaning "to hope," and shares roots with other Romance-language verbs for hoping or waiting.