Skip to content

esperar

to wait; to hope

verb es-peh-RAHR Common

Also means

to expect

Usage Note

Esperar covers both 'to wait' and 'to hope/expect', so context is essential: espero el autobús means 'I am waiting for the bus', while espero que llegues means 'I hope you arrive'. The dual meaning can catch learners off guard — use aguardar if you want an unambiguous 'to wait'.

Examples

"Espero tu llamada con ansias."

Natural Translation

I am eagerly waiting for your call.

Literal Translation

I-hope your call with eagerness.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore Spanish by topic