esperar

Esperar is a Spanish verb with two broad senses: to wait in place for someone or something to arrive or to happen, and to hope or to expect a certain outcome. In different contexts, it expresses patience, anticipation, or forward-looking expectation. It is widely used in everyday speech and covers both concrete waiting and more abstract hope.

Etymology and related forms: Esperar derives from the Latin exspectare, meaning to look out for or await, with the sense shift common in the Romance languages toward hoping or expecting. The related noun la espera denotes the act of waiting, while la esperanza means hope.

Conjugation overview: Esperar is a regular AR verb. Present indicative forms are: yo espero, tú esperas, él espera, nosotros esperamos, vosotros esperáis, ellos esperan. Other common tenses include preterite: esperé, esperaste, esperó, esperamos, esperasteis, esperaron; imperfect: esperaba, esperabas, esperaba, esperábamos, esperabais, esperaban; future: esperaré, esperarás, esperará, esperaremos, esperaréis, esperarán; conditional: esperaría, esperarías, esperaría, esperaríamos, esperaríais, esperarían. The present subjunctive forms are: espere, esperes, espere, esperemos, esperéis, esperen. The affirmative imperative is espera (tú), espere (usted), esperemos, esperad, esperen.

Usage notes: Esperar a alguien means to wait for someone, while esperar something often means to hope for or to anticipate it, as in Espero una respuesta or Espero que llegues a tiempo. When the clause expresses desire, doubt, or emotion, the subordinate verb typically appears in the subjunctive: Espero que llueva hoy. Examples of common constructs include esperar + infinitive (e.g., Espero terminar pronto) and esperar + noun (e.g., Espero noticias).

See also: la espera, la esperanza, desesperar.