How to Say "to expect" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to expect” is “esperar” — use 'esperar' when you are anticipating or hoping for something to happen, or when you are assuming something is true without certainty..
esperar
/es-peh-RAHR//espeˈɾaɾ/
Examples
No esperaba tu llamada.
I wasn't expecting your call.
Se espera lluvia para el fin de semana.
Rain is expected for the weekend.
Mi jefe espera el informe para mañana.
My boss expects the report by tomorrow.
Expressing an Expectation
When you use 'esperar' to mean 'expect', you're stating that you believe something is likely to happen. The verb that follows it will usually be in its normal, non-special form (the indicative).
pretender
/pre-ten-DARE//pɾetenˈdeɾ/
Examples
No pretendas que no sabías nada.
Don't pretend/claim that you didn't know anything.
Ella pretende que le paguemos el doble.
She expects us to pay her double.
Claiming and the Subjunctive
When you use 'pretender que' to mean you expect someone else to do something, the verb that follows must change its form (the 'subjunctive' form), as in 'Pretende que yo vaya' (He expects me to go).
Esperar vs. Pretender
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