esperar
In the tables below, the stem is shown in black and the ending in purple.
1.Presente
Presente
Habitual actions, general truths, and what's happening now.
| yo | espero |
| tú | esperas |
| él/ella | espera |
| nosotros | esperamos |
| vosotros | esperáis |
| ellos/ellas | esperan |
Espero que llegues a tiempo.
I hope you arrive on time.
Ella espera su turno en la fila.
She is waiting for her turn in line.
2.Pretérito Indefinido
Pretérito Indefinido
Completed actions at a specific point in the past.
| yo | esperé |
| tú | esperaste |
| él/ella | esperó |
| nosotros | esperamos |
| vosotros | esperasteis |
| ellos/ellas | esperaron |
Ayer esperé una respuesta de él.
Yesterday, I waited for a response from him.
Ellos esperaron mucho tiempo por el tren.
They waited a long time for the train.
3.Imperfecto
Imperfecto
Ongoing or repeated actions in the past, descriptions, and background context.
| yo | esperaba |
| tú | esperabas |
| él/ella | esperaba |
| nosotros | esperábamos |
| vosotros | esperabais |
| ellos/ellas | esperaban |
Cuando era niño, siempre esperaba las vacaciones.
When I was a child, I always waited for the holidays.
Ella esperaba que él la llamara.
She hoped that he would call her.
4.Futuro Simple
Futuro Simple
Future actions, predictions, and speculation about the present.
| yo | esperaré |
| tú | esperarás |
| él/ella | esperará |
| nosotros | esperaremos |
| vosotros | esperaréis |
| ellos/ellas | esperarán |
Mañana esperaré a mis amigos en el café.
Tomorrow, I will wait for my friends at the café.
Ellos esperarán buenas noticias pronto.
They will hope for good news soon.
5.Condicional
Condicional
Hypothetical situations, polite requests, and future-in-the-past.
| yo | esperaría |
| tú | esperarías |
| él/ella | esperaría |
| nosotros | esperaríamos |
| vosotros | esperaríais |
| ellos/ellas | esperarían |
Si tuviera tiempo, esperaría a que llegues.
If I had time, I would wait for you to arrive.
Ella esperaría un milagro si fuera necesario.
She would hope for a miracle if necessary.
6.Subjuntivo Presente
Subjuntivo Presente
Wishes, doubts, emotions, and subordinate clauses expressing uncertainty.
| yo | espere |
| tú | esperes |
| él/ella | espere |
| nosotros | esperemos |
| vosotros | esperéis |
| ellos/ellas | esperen |
Es importante que esperes con paciencia.
It's important that you wait patiently.
Espero que ellos no esperen mucho.
I hope that they do not wait long.
7.Subjuntivo Imperfecto
Subjuntivo Imperfecto
Past subjunctive contexts, hypothetical si-clauses, and polite suggestions.
| yo | esperara |
| tú | esperaras |
| él/ella | esperara |
| nosotros | esperáramos |
| vosotros | esperarais |
| ellos/ellas | esperaran |
Si yo esperara más, tal vez tendría éxito.
If I were to wait longer, I might succeed.
Ojalá que ella esperara la respuesta correcta.
I wish she would wait for the right answer.
"esperar" in other languages
Related verbs
Common questions
- Is "esperar" regular or irregular in Spanish?
- "esperar" is a regular -ar verb in Spanish. It follows the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs.
- How do you conjugate "esperar" in the present tense?
- In the Presente, "esperar" conjugates as: esperas, espero, esperan, and more. See the full table above.
- What is the past tense of "esperar" in Spanish?
- In the Pretérito Indefinido, "esperar" conjugates as: esperaste, esperé, esperaron, and more. See the full table above.
- How common is "esperar" in Spanish?
- "esperar" (to wait, to hope) is one of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish.