A small child planting a seed in a garden and looking up with a hopeful smile, imagining a giant sunflower.

expectativas

eks-pek-ta-TEE-bahs

nounfB1

expectations?hopes or beliefs about the future

Also:prospects?chances of success or future career outlook,outlooks?general view of what is likely to happen

📝 In Action

La película superó todas mis expectativas.

The movie exceeded all my expectations.

Tengo altas expectativas para el nuevo trabajo.

I have high expectations for the new job.

Hay buenas expectativas de crecimiento económico este año.

There are good prospects for economic growth this year.

Word Connections

Synonyms

esperanzas (hopes)
previsiones (forecasts/provisions)
ilusiones (dreams/hopes)

Antonyms

realidad (reality)
desilusión (disappointment)

Common Collocations

cumplir expectativas – to meet expectations
superar expectativas – to exceed expectations
estar a la expectativa – to be waiting/watching to see what happens

Idioms & Expressions

crear falsas expectativas – to lead someone to believe something will happen when it likely won't

💡 Grammar Points

Always Feminine and Usually Plural

This word is feminine (las expectativas). While you can use the singular 'expectativa', we almost always use the plural when talking about general hopes or standards for a person or project.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Expectativa vs. Esperanza

Mistake: "Using 'expectativa' for a purely emotional wish."

Correction: Use 'esperanza' for emotional hope and 'expectativa' for a calculated or logical expectation of what will likely happen.

⭐ Usage Tips

Professional Use

In job interviews, use 'expectativas salariales' to talk about the salary you are looking for.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: expectativas

Question 1 of 1

Which verb is most commonly used when you achieve what was expected?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

expectante(expectant/waiting) - adjective

esperar(to wait/to hope) - verb

esperanza(hope) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'expectativa' the same as 'esperanza'?

Not exactly. 'Esperanza' is a feeling of hope (emotional), while 'expectativa' is more about what you think will actually happen based on standards or circumstances (logical).

Can I use 'expectativa' in the singular?

Yes, but it's less common. You might say 'Tengo la expectativa de que...' (I have the expectation that...), but 'Tengo expectativas' is the standard way to talk about your standards.