Inklingo
Dictionary

esperas

es-PEH-rasesˈpeɾas

“esperas” means “you wait” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

you waitA1Verb

when speaking informally to one person (tú)

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waitsB1Noun

periods of delay

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you wait, you are waitingAlso: you hope

VerbA1regular ar
A young child sitting patiently on a small wooden bench, holding a single red flower, looking expectantly towards the right side of the image, illustrating the action of waiting.
infinitiveesperar
gerundesperando
past Participleesperado

📝 In Action

¿Qué esperas de mí?

A2

What do you expect from me?

Esperas el autobús en la esquina.

A1

You wait for the bus on the corner.

Si esperas demasiado, lo perderás.

B1

If you wait too long, you will lose it.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • esperas mucho – you expect a lot
  • esperas mi llamada – you wait for my call

waitsAlso: expectations

NounfB1formal
A line of three distinct cartoon animals—a rabbit, a fox, and a bear—standing patiently one behind the other at a closed window, depicting multiple periods of delay.

📝 In Action

Las esperas en el hospital son muy largas.

B1

The waits at the hospital are very long.

No cumplió con las esperas del cliente.

B2

He did not meet the client's expectations.

Debido a las esperas, perdimos el vuelo.

B1

Due to the delays (waits), we missed the flight.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • demoras (delays)
  • dilaciones (prolonged delays)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • largas esperas – long waits
  • tiempo de esperas – waiting time

Indicative

Present

yoespero
túesperas
él/ella/ustedespera
nosotrosesperamos
vosotrosesperáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesesperan

Imperfect

yoesperaba
túesperabas
él/ella/ustedesperaba
nosotrosesperábamos
vosotrosesperabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesesperaban

Preterite

yoesperé
túesperaste
él/ella/ustedesperó
nosotrosesperamos
vosotrosesperasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesesperaron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yoespere
túesperes
él/ella/ustedespere
nosotrosesperemos
vosotrosesperéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesesperen

Imperfect Subjunctive

yoesperara/esperase
túesperaras/esperases
él/ella/ustedesperara/esperase
nosotrosesperáramos/esperásemos
vosotrosesperarais/esperaseis
ellos/ellas/ustedesesperaran/esperasen
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Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "esperas" in Spanish:

expectationswaitsyou hope

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: esperas

Question 1 of 2

Which English phrase correctly translates 'Esperas el paquete desde hace una semana'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
esperar(to wait, to hope) — Verb
espera(the wait, waiting room (singular noun)) — Noun
desesperar(to despair, to lose hope) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes
erasverasadmiras
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin verb *sperare*, meaning 'to hope' or 'to expect'. The meaning of 'to wait' developed later, connecting the idea of hopeful anticipation with the passage of time.

First recorded: Around the 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: esperasItalian: sperare

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'esperas' the same as 'estás esperando'?

They are very similar! 'Esperas' (Present Simple) means 'You wait' or 'You habitually wait.' 'Estás esperando' (Present Continuous) emphasizes that the waiting is happening right now. In Spanish, the simple present ('esperas') is often used even when talking about something happening at the moment, making it more common.

How do I know if 'esperas' means 'wait' or 'hope'?

Context is key. If the sentence involves an action that takes time (like waiting for a bus or a person), it means 'to wait.' If it involves a desire for a future outcome (like 'esperas que todo salga bien'), it means 'to hope' or 'to expect.'