esperaram

Esperaram is a form of the Portuguese verb esperar. It corresponds to the pretérito perfeito do indicativo for the third-person plural (eles, elas or vocês) and translates roughly as "they waited" or "you waited" in English, depending on the subject. The verb esperar itself can mean to wait, to hope, or to expect, so the sense of esperaram can be physical waiting or hopeful/expectational waiting, according to context.

Grammatical notes: Esperaram is a regular -ar verb form in the pretérito perfeito. The stem is esper- and the suffix -aram marks the third-person plural. It is used with subjects such as eles, elas, or vocês. In Brazilian Portuguese, as in European Portuguese, the same form is used for both formal and informal plural subjects.

Usage and nuances: The form is commonly used to describe a completed past action of waiting, as in "Eles esperaram pelo ônibus por quase uma hora" (They waited for the bus for almost an hour). It can also convey anticipation or hope, for example, "Eles esperaram que tudo terminasse bem" (They hoped that everything would end well). The meaning can shift with the surrounding prepositions and clauses, such as "por" (for/for the purpose of waiting) or "que" (that something would happen).

Etymology: Esperar comes from Latin exspectare, meaning to look out for, to await, to expect. The form esperaram reflects the standard Portuguese pathway from Latin into the modern verb conjugation.