esperar
Asturian
Conjugation
Catalan
Pronunciation
Verb
esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperí, past participle esperat); root stress: (Central, Valencian, Balearic) /e/
Conjugation
infinitive | esperar | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gerund | esperant | ||||||
past participle | masculine | feminine | |||||
singular | esperat | esperada | |||||
plural | esperats | esperades | |||||
person | singular | plural | |||||
first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
indicative | jo | tu | ell/ella vostè |
nosaltres nós |
vosaltres vós |
ells/elles vostès | |
present | espero | esperes | espera | esperem | espereu | esperen | |
imperfect | esperava | esperaves | esperava | esperàvem | esperàveu | esperaven | |
future | esperaré | esperaràs | esperarà | esperarem | esperareu | esperaran | |
preterite | esperí | esperares | esperà | esperàrem | esperàreu | esperaren | |
conditional | esperaria | esperaries | esperaria | esperaríem | esperaríeu | esperarien | |
subjunctive | jo | tu | ell/ella vostè |
nosaltres nós |
vosaltres vós |
ells/elles vostès | |
present | esperi | esperis | esperi | esperem | espereu | esperin | |
imperfect | esperés | esperessis | esperés | esperéssim | esperéssiu | esperessin | |
imperative | — | tu | vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres vós |
vostès | |
affirmative | — | espera | esperi | esperem | espereu | esperin | |
negative (no) | — | no esperis | no esperi | no esperem | no espereu | no esperin |
Derived terms
Related terms
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
Etymology
From Old Galician-Portuguese esperar (from 13th c.), inherited from Latin spērāre.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [espeˈɾaɾ]
Verb
esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperei, past participle esperado)
Conjugation
1Less recommended.
Further reading
- “esperar”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, since 2012
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)
- to hope
Conjugation
![]() |
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)
Conjugation

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 | ||||

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 | ||||

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 | ||||

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 | ||||

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
Old Spanish
Alternative forms
Verb
esperar
- 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 [already] came.
- 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.
- 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.
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
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /is.peˈɾa(ʁ)/ [is.peˈɾa(h)], /es.peˈɾa(ʁ)/ [es.peˈɾa(h)]
- (São Paulo) IPA(key): /is.peˈɾa(ɾ)/, /es.peˈɾa(ɾ)/
- (Rio de Janeiro) IPA(key): /iʃ.peˈɾa(ʁ)/ [iʃ.peˈɾa(χ)], /eʃ.peˈɾa(ʁ)/ [eʃ.peˈɾa(χ)]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /es.peˈɾa(ɻ)/
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /(i)ʃ.pɨˈɾaɾ/
- (Southern Portugal) IPA(key): /(i)ʃ.pɨˈɾa.ɾi/
Verb
esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperei, past participle esperado)
- to wait
- (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
- (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
- (intransitive, or transitive with por or with no preposition) to wait (for); to await
- to hope
- (transitive with por) to hope for (to really want something)
- Eles esperam pelo fim da guerra. ― They hope for the end of the war.
- (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.
- (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.
- (transitive with por) to hope for (to really want something)
- (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
1Brazilian Portuguese.
2European Portuguese.
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/ [es.peˈɾaɾ]
Audio: (file) - Rhymes: -aɾ
- Syllabification: es‧pe‧rar
Verb
esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperé, past participle esperado)
- (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.
- (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.
- (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.
- (intransitive, reflexive) to wait, to hold on (reflexive for emphatic use)
- ¡Espera! ¡Espérate tantito! ― Wait! Hold on for a sec!
- (reflexive, impersonal) to be expected
- Se espera que el huracán llegue mañana. ― The hurricane is expected to come tomorrow.
Conjugation
These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | ||
with infinitive esperar | |||||||
dative | esperarme | esperarte | esperarle, esperarse | esperarnos | esperaros | esperarles, esperarse | |
accusative | esperarme | esperarte | esperarlo, esperarla, esperarse | esperarnos | esperaros | esperarlos, esperarlas, esperarse | |
with gerund esperando | |||||||
dative | esperándome | esperándote | esperándole, esperándose | esperándonos | esperándoos | esperándoles, esperándose | |
accusative | esperándome | esperándote | esperándolo, esperándola, esperándose | esperándonos | esperándoos | esperándolos, esperándolas, esperándose | |
with informal second-person singular tú imperative espera | |||||||
dative | espérame | espérate | espérale | espéranos | not used | espérales | |
accusative | espérame | espérate | espéralo, espérala | espéranos | not used | espéralos, espéralas | |
with informal second-person singular vos imperative esperá | |||||||
dative | esperame | esperate | esperale | esperanos | not used | esperales | |
accusative | esperame | esperate | esperalo, esperala | esperanos | not used | esperalos, esperalas | |
with formal second-person singular imperative espere | |||||||
dative | espéreme | not used | espérele, espérese | espérenos | not used | espéreles | |
accusative | espéreme | not used | espérelo, espérela, espérese | espérenos | not used | espérelos, espérelas | |
with first-person plural imperative esperemos | |||||||
dative | not used | esperémoste | esperémosle | esperémonos | esperémoos | esperémosles | |
accusative | not used | esperémoste | esperémoslo, esperémosla | esperémonos | esperémoos | esperémoslos, esperémoslas | |
with informal second-person plural imperative esperad | |||||||
dative | esperadme | not used | esperadle | esperadnos | esperaos | esperadles | |
accusative | esperadme | not used | esperadlo, esperadla | esperadnos | esperaos | esperadlos, esperadlas | |
with formal second-person plural imperative esperen | |||||||
dative | espérenme | not used | espérenle | espérennos | not used | espérenles, espérense | |
accusative | espérenme | not used | espérenlo, espérenla | espérennos | not used | espérenlos, espérenlas, espérense |
Further reading
- “esperar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014