How to Say "was waiting" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “was waiting” is “esperaba” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Yo esperaba el autobús cuando empezó a llover.
I was waiting for the bus when it started to rain.
Mi abuela siempre me esperaba con galletas después de la escuela.
My grandmother always used to wait for me with cookies after school.
La sala estaba llena; mucha gente esperaba para entrar.
The room was full; many people were waiting to get in.
Describing Ongoing Past Actions
Use 'esperaba' to talk about something that was happening over a period of time in the past, like setting the scene in a story. Think of it as the '-ing' form in the past: 'I was waiting...'
Confusing 'esperaba' and 'esperó'
Mistake: “Ayer, yo esperaba el tren por dos horas.”
Correction: Ayer, yo esperé el tren por dos horas. Use 'esperé' for a completed action with a clear end. Use 'esperaba' for the background action ('I was waiting when something else happened').
Related Translations
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