What does esperar mean?
esperar means to hope in English. It is a regular -ar verb.
It can also be used with these related meanings: to expect; to wait, wait (for).
Spanish verb guide
Esperar Conjugation in Spanish
Learn esperar, meaning to hope, through verified forms and contextual examples.
regular-argerund: esperandoparticiple: esperado
Principal forms of esperar
- Infinitive
- esperar
- Gerund
- esperando
- Past participle
- esperado
Esperar conjugation table
Compare the present, preterite, imperfect, and future forms. Reflexive pronouns are included where the verb requires them.
| Pronoun | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | espero | esperé | esperaba | esperaré |
| tú | esperas | esperaste | esperabas | esperarás |
| él / ella / usted | espera | esperó | esperaba | esperará |
| nosotros/as | esperamos | esperamos | esperábamos | esperaremos |
| ellos/as / ustedes | esperan | esperaron | esperaban | esperarán |
Pattern notes
- Esperar follows the regular -ar pattern in the four tenses shown here.
Examples with esperar
Esperaré un día o dos.I'll wait a day or two.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Yo no espero por nadie.I don't wait for anybody.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
No sé lo que me espera.I don't know what awaits me.Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Practice prompts
- Conjugate esperar for yo in the present.
- Use the preterite form for ella.
- Say the nosotros/as imperfect form.
- Write a short sentence in the future.
Practice esperar online
Use VerbyGo for a quick conjugation round with instant feedback and accent checking.