Inklingo

How to Say "we expect" in Spanish

English → Spanish

esperamos

es-pe-RAH-mos/es.peˈɾa.mos/

Verb (Conjugated Form)A1General
Use 'esperamos' when you are actively waiting for something or someone to arrive or happen, indicating a present state of anticipation.
Two cartoon children sitting side-by-side on a wooden bench at a bus stop, looking expectantly down an empty road, illustrating the present action of waiting.

Examples

Esperamos el tren en la estación.

We are waiting for the train at the station.

Siempre esperamos lo mejor de nuestros estudiantes.

We always expect the best from our students.

Esperamos que llegues a tiempo para la cena.

We hope that you arrive in time for dinner.

Waiting for People/Things

When you are waiting for a person or a thing, 'esperar' usually uses the preposition 'a' before the person, but not before the thing: 'Esperamos a María' (We wait for María), but 'Esperamos el bus' (We wait for the bus).

Hoping (Subjunctive Trigger)

When 'esperamos' means 'we hope' and is followed by 'que' and a different person, the next verb must change to its special form (subjunctive): 'Esperamos que venga' (We hope that he comes).

Confusing 'Wait' vs. 'Hope' Conjugation

Mistake: “Using *esperemos* when you mean 'We wait' right now.”

Correction: Use *esperamos* for present actions ('We wait'). *Esperemos* is for commands or desires ('Let's wait' or 'That we may wait').

esperaremos

ess-peh-rah-REH-mos/es.pe.raˈɾe.mos/

VerbB1General
Use 'esperaremos' (future tense) when you are expressing hope or anticipating a positive result that will happen in the future.
A storybook illustration featuring two small, friendly characters standing together in a dark field, gazing upwards at a single, bright, stylized star in the night sky, symbolizing collective hope.

Examples

Después de enviar el currículum, esperaremos que nos llamen para la entrevista.

After sending the CV, we will hope that they call us for the interview.

Terminemos el proyecto y esperaremos que el jefe esté contento con el resultado.

Let's finish the project and we will hope the boss is happy with the result.

Hoping Triggers Subjunctive

When 'esperar' means 'to hope' and is followed by 'que' and a different person performing the second action, the second verb must use the special 'subjunctive' form: 'Esperaremos que él venga.' (We will hope that he comes).

Using Indicative After 'Hope'

Mistake: “Esperaremos que él *viene* (Using the normal present tense for the action you hope for).”

Correction: The correct form is 'Esperaremos que él *venga*' (using the subjunctive form 'venga'), because you are expressing a desire, not a fact.

Present vs. Future Expectation

The most common mistake is using the present tense 'esperamos' when you mean a future hope. Remember that 'esperamos' often implies waiting *now*, while 'esperaremos' looks forward to a future outcome you are hoping for.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.