A simple storybook illustration of a friendly young person standing patiently beside a brightly colored park bench, looking into the distance with an expectant expression.

esperes

es-PEH-res

VerbB1regular ar

you wait?as a wish or desire (e.g., I hope you wait),you hope?as a wish or desire (e.g., It's necessary that you hope)

Also:don't wait?as a negative command,may you wait?formal/literary expression of a wish

Quick Reference

infinitiveesperar

gerundesperando

past Participleesperado

📝 In Action

Necesito que tú esperes hasta que yo llegue.

I need you to wait until I arrive.

No esperes que sea fácil; tienes que practicar mucho.

Don't expect it to be easy; you have to practice a lot.

Ojalá esperes un milagro, pero no cuentes con ello.

I hope you wait for a miracle, but don't count on it.

Word Connections

Synonyms

aguardar (to wait for)
confiar (to trust/hope)

Antonyms

marcharse (to leave)
desconfiar (to distrust/not hope)

Common Collocations

que esperes pacientemente – that you wait patiently
no esperes milagros – don't expect miracles

💡 Grammar Points

Two Functions of 'Esperes'

'Esperes' is the form used for 'you (tú)' in two situations: when giving a negative command ('No esperes') AND when the action is uncertain, desired, or doubted (e.g., 'Quiero que esperes').

The Subjunctive Trigger

You must use 'esperes' (the special verb form) after expressions of desire, emotion, doubt, or necessity, often introduced by 'que' (e.g., 'Es bueno que esperes').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing Indicative and Subjunctive

Mistake: "Quiero que tú esperas aquí."

Correction: Quiero que tú esperes aquí. (The desire of the first verb 'quiero' forces the second verb to take the special 'esperes' form.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Using Negative Commands

Remember that all negative 'tú' commands use the same special verb form as the subjunctive. Think: 'Negative Command = Subjunctive Form.'

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedespera

yoespero

túesperas

ellos/ellas/ustedesesperan

nosotrosesperamos

vosotrosesperáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedesperaba

yoesperaba

túesperabas

ellos/ellas/ustedesesperaban

nosotrosesperábamos

vosotrosesperabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedesperó

yoesperé

túesperaste

ellos/ellas/ustedesesperaron

nosotrosesperamos

vosotrosesperasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedespere

yoespere

túesperes

ellos/ellas/ustedesesperen

nosotrosesperemos

vosotrosesperéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedesperara/esperase

yoesperara/esperase

túesperaras/esperases

ellos/ellas/ustedesesperaran/esperasen

nosotrosesperáramos/esperásemos

vosotrosesperarais/esperaseis

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: esperes

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'esperes' to give a direct, negative command?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

esperar(to wait; to hope) - verb

esperanza(hope) - noun

desesperar(to despair) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'esperas' and 'esperes'?

'Esperas' is the normal, everyday form of the verb ('You wait'). 'Esperes' is a special form used when the action of waiting is uncertain, desired, or when you are giving a negative order ('Don't wait'). You need a special word or phrase (like 'que' after a desire) to make you use 'esperes'.