esperar

Asturian

Etymology

Inherited from Latin spērāre.

Verb

esperar (first-person singular indicative present espero, past participle esperáu)

1. to wait
2. to hope
3. to expect

Conjugation

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Latin spērāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic)
• IPA^(key): (Valencian)

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -a(ɾ)

Verb

esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperí, past participle esperat); root stress: (Central, Valencian, Balearic) /e/

1. to wait, wait for, await
2. to hope
3. to expect
4. (takes a reflexive pronoun) to expect

Conjugation

Derived terms

• esperar-se

Related terms

• esperança

Further reading

• “esperar” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “esperar” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Alternative forms

• asperar

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese esperar (from 13th c.), inherited from Latin spērāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Verb

esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperei, past participle esperado)

1. to wait

   Synonym: agardar

2. to hope

Conjugation

Related terms

Further reading

• “esperar” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

References

• “esperar” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
• “esper” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006–2018.
• “esperar” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
• “esperar” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “esperar” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from Esperanto esperi, French espérer, Italian sperare, Spanish esperar, all from Latin spērō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /espeˈrar/

Verb

esperar (present tense esperas, past tense esperis, future tense esperos, imperative esperez, conditional esperus)

1. to hope

Conjugation

    Conjugation of esperar

		present		past		future
infinitive		esperar		esperir		esperor
tense		esperas		esperis		esperos
conditional		esperus
imperative		esperez
adjective active participle		esperanta		esperinta		esperonta
adverbial active participle		esperante		esperinte		esperonte
nominal active participle	singular	esperanto		esperinto		esperonto
	plural	esperanti		esperinti		esperonti
adjective passive participle		esperata		esperita		esperota
adverbial passive participle		esperate		esperite		esperote
nominal passive participle	singular	esperato		esperito		esperoto
	plural	esperati		esperiti		esperoti

Derived terms

• desesperigar (“to drive to despair; to dishearten, depress, despond”)

Occitan

Etymology

From Old Occitan esperar, inherited from Latin spērāre.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Béarn)

  (file)

Verb

esperar

1. to hope
2. to wait

Conjugation

    Lengadocian (Central Occitan)

		simple			compound
infinitive		esperar			aver esperat
gerund		esperant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		esperat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	esperi	esperas	espera	esperam	esperatz	esperan
	imperfect	esperavi	esperavas	esperava	esperàvem	esperàvetz	esperavan
	preterite	esperèri	esperères	esperèt	esperèrem	esperèretz	esperèron
	future	esperarai	esperaràs	esperarà	esperarem	esperaretz	esperaràn
	conditional	esperariái	esperariás	esperariá	esperariam	esperariatz	esperarián
	conditional 2nd form1	esperèra	esperèras	esperèra	espereram	espereratz	esperèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	espere	esperes	espere	esperem	esperetz	esperen
	imperfect	esperèssi	esperèsses	esperèsse	esperèssem	esperèssetz	esperèsson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			espera		esperem	esperatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Auvernhàs

		simple			compound
infinitive		esperar			aver esperat
gerund		esperant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		esperat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	espere	esperes	espera	esperam	esperatz	esperon
	imperfect	esperave	esperaves	esperava	esperaviam	esperaviatz	esperavon
	preterite	esperere	espereres	esperet	esperem	esperetz	espereron
	future	esperarai	esperaràs	esperará	esperarem	esperaretz	esperarán
	conditional	esperariá	esperariás	esperariá	esperariam	esperariatz	esperarián
	conditional 2nd form1	esperèra	esperèras	esperèra	espereram	espereratz	esperèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	espere	esperes	espere	esperassiam	esperassiatz	esperon
	imperfect	esperesse	esperesses	esperesse	esperessiam	esperessiatz	esperesson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			espera		esperassiam	esperatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Gascon

		simple			compound
infinitive		esperar			aver esperat
gerund		esperant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		esperat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	esperi	esperas	espera	esperam	esperatz	esperan
	imperfect	esperavi	esperavas	esperava	esperàvam	esperàvatz	esperavan
	preterite	esperèi	esperès	esperè	esperèm	esperètz	esperèn
	future	esperarèi	esperaràs	esperarà	esperaram	esperaratz	esperaràn
	conditional	esperarí	esperarés	esperaré	esperarem	esperaretz	esperarén
	conditional 2nd form1	esperèra	esperèras	esperèra	espereram	espereratz	esperèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	esperi	esperes	espere	esperem	esperetz	esperen
	imperfect	esperèssi	esperèsses	esperèsse	esperèssem	esperèssetz	esperèssen
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			espera		esperem	esperatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Lemosin

		simple			compound
infinitive		esperar			aver esperat
gerund		esperant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		esperat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	espere	esperas	espera	esperam	esperatz	esperan
	imperfect	esperava	esperavas	esperava	esperàvam	esperàvatz	esperavan
	preterite	esperei	espereras	esperet	esperèram	esperèratz	espereran
	future	esperarai	esperaràs	esperará	esperarem	esperaretz	esperarán
	conditional	esperariá	esperariàs	esperariá	esperariam	esperariatz	esperarián
	conditional 2nd form1	esperèra	esperèras	esperèra	espereram	espereratz	esperèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	espere	esperes	espere	esperem	esperetz	esperen
	imperfect	esperèsse	esperèsses	esperèsse	esperèssem	esperèssetz	esperèssen
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			espera		esperem	esperatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Provençau

		simple			compound
infinitive		esperar			aver esperat
gerund		esperant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		esperat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	espere	esperes	espera	esperam	esperatz	esperan
	imperfect	esperavi	esperavas	esperava	esperàvem	esperàvetz	esperavan
	preterite	esperère	esperères	esperèt	espereriam	espereriatz	esperèron
	future	esperarai	esperaràs	esperarà	esperarem	esperaretz	esperaràn
	conditional	esperariáu	esperariás	esperariá	esperariam	esperariatz	esperarián
	conditional 2nd form1	esperèra	esperèras	esperèra	espereram	espereratz	esperèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	espere	esperes	espere	esperem	esperetz	esperan
	imperfect	esperèsse	esperèsses	esperèsse	esperessiam	esperessiatz	esperèsson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			espera		esperem	esperatz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

Related terms

• esperança

Old Spanish

Alternative forms

• asperar

Etymology

Inherited from Latin spērāre.

Verb

esperar

1. to wait (for), await
   • c. 1200, Almerich, La fazienda de ultramar, (published by Moshé Lazar, 1965, Salamanca: Universidad de Salamanca, page 211):

     En est logar dize Ysayas de Messias que esperan los Judios e non conoscen com es venido.

     In this place, Isaiah speaks of the Messiah whom the Jews await, and whom they don't know he came.

2. to hope, expect
   • c. 1280, Alfonso X, General Estoria, tercera parte, (published by Pedro Sánchez-Prieto Borja and Bautista Horcajada Diezma, 1994, Madrid: Gredos):

     mientre fían en los ídolos, que son cosas sin entendimiento e sin alma, juran mal, e esperan que les non nozirá.

     While putting trust in idols, which are things without understanding nor soul, they wrongly make oaths and expect it will not harm them.

3. to trust completely (in God)
   • c. 1280, Alfonso X, General Estoria, tercera parte, (published by Pedro Sánchez-Prieto Borja and Bautista Horcajada Diezma, 1994, Madrid: Gredos):

     Toda palabra de Dios es escudo fecho con fuego para los que esperan en él.

     The word of God is a shield made of fire for those who trust in Him.

Descendants

• Ladin: asperar
• Spanish: esperar

References

• Joan Coromines, José A. Pascual (1984) “esperar”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico (in Spanish), volumes II (Ce–F), Madrid: Gredos, →ISBN, page 740

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese esperar, inherited from Latin spērāre.

Pronunciation

Verb

esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperei, past participle esperado)

1. to wait
   2. (intransitive, or transitive with por or with no preposition) to wait (for); to await

      Eu espero por sua resposta. ― I await your response.

      Fiquei esperando no carro. ― I waited in the car.

      Synonym: aguardar

   4. (transitive, auxiliary with a verb in the personal infinitive as the second object) to wait for (not to do anything until)

      Espere o João chegar. ― Wait for John to arrive.

      Synonym: aguardar

2. to hope
   2. (transitive with por) to hope for (to really want something)

      Eles esperam pelo fim da guerra. ― They hope for the end of the war.

   4. (ditransitive, with the indirect object taking que and a verb in the present subjunctive) to hope (that) someone does something

      Eu espero que gostes do presente. ― I hope you like the gift.

   6. (auxiliary with a verb in the personal or impersonal infinitive) to hope something can be done

      Esperávamos comer alguma coisa hoje. ― We were hoping to eat something today.

4. (intransitive, or transitive with por or with no preposition) to expect; to anticipate (to know or think that something will happen)

   É melhor do que eu esperava. ― It is better than I expected.

   Eu já esperava por isso mesmo. ― I was expecting this anyway.

   Synonym: aguardar

Conjugation

Further reading

• “esperar” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913

Spanish

Etymology

From Old Spanish esperar, inherited from Latin spērāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /espeˈɾaɾ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: es‧pe‧rar

Verb

esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperé, past participle esperado)

1. (transitive) to hope for, hope to (with a subjunctive or same-subject infinitive)

   Synonym: tener esperanza de que

   esperar con interés ― to look forward to, to eagerly await

   En vano esperaron mejores días. ― They hoped for better days in vain.

   Esperamos llegar a viejos juntos. ― We hope we'll grow old together.

   Ella espera ya estar casada cuando tenga treinta. ― She hopes she'll be already married when she's 30 years old.

   Espera que no sea necesario. ― He hopes it won't be necessary.

2. (transitive) to expect (often with a verb in the indicative)

   Synonym: anticipar

   Ellos esperan encontrar muchas dificultades. ― They expect to come across many hardships.

   Esperamos un clima adverso mañana. ― We're expecting unfavourable weather tomorrow.

   Los estudiantes esperan que no será fácil el examen. ― The students expect the exam won't be easy.

   Los huéspedes esperan que les ayudaremos. ― The guests expect we'll help them.

3. (intransitive or transitive) to wait, wait for, await (possibly with a + subjunctive)

   Por favor espera aquí. ― Please wait here.

   Te he esperado por media hora. ― I have waited for you for half an hour.

   Espero con ansias tu llegada. ― I am anxiously waiting for your arrival.

   ¡Espera a que la conozcas en persona! ― Wait till you meet her in person!

   Estamos esperando a que se suavice la lluvia. ― We're waiting for the rain to get less heavy.

4. (intransitive, reflexive) to wait, to hold on (reflexive for emphatic use)

   ¡Espera! ¡Espérate tantito! ― Wait! Hold on for a sec!

5. (reflexive, impersonal) to be expected

   Se espera que el huracán llegue mañana. ― The hurricane is expected to come tomorrow.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

• aguardar
• ojalá

Further reading

• “esperar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014