esperaron

Esperaron is the third-person plural form of the Spanish verb esperar in the pretérito perfecto simple, meaning “they waited” or “you all waited” depending on context (in Latin America, ustedes). It is one of the standard past-tense forms used to describe completed actions at a specific time in the past. The corresponding forms for other subjects include esperé, esperaste, esperó, esperamos, esperasteis, and esperaron.

Esperar is a regular -ar verb. In the preterite, its endings are -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. Therefore, esperaron is produced by combining the stem esper- with the third-person plural endings -aron. This regularity means its pronunciation and spelling follow standard -ar verb patterns.

Usage notes: The pretérito expresses actions completed in the past with an identifiable temporal reference. It contrasts with the imperfect tense, esperaban, which would describe ongoing or habitual waiting. Esperar also has a separate sense of “to hope” or “to expect,” and esperaron can convey hope or expectation in a clause typically introduced by que, as in Esperaron que llegara a tiempo (“They hoped that he would arrive on time”).

Etymology: The verb esperar derives from Latin exspectāre, meaning to look out for or wait for, with the sense of hoping or expecting developing in the Romance languages, including Spanish.

Examples: “Los pasajeros esperaron en la estación.” “Esperaron que llegara a tiempo.” These illustrate the use of esperaron to denote a past, completed act of waiting or hoping.