esperar

Inherited from Latin spērāre.

esperar (first-person singular indicative present espero, past participle esperáu)

1. to wait
2. to hope
3. to expect

Inherited from Latin spērāre.

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [əs.pəˈɾa]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [es.peˈɾaɾ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -a(ɾ)

esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperí, past participle esperat); root stress: (Central, Valencia, Balearic) /e/

1. to wait, wait for, await
2. to hope
3. to expect
4. (pronominal) to expect

• esperar-se

• esperança

• “esperar”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “esperar” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

• asperar

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese asperar, from Latin spērō.

• IPA^(key): /espeˈɾaɾ/ [es̺.peˈɾaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ

esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperei, past participle esperado)

1. to wait

   Synonym: agardar

2. to hope

• “esperar”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “esperar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “esperar”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “esperar”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Borrowed from Esperanto esperi, French espérer, Italian sperare, Spanish esperar, all from Latin spērō.

• IPA^(key): /espeˈrar/

esperar (present tense esperas, past tense esperis, future tense esperos, imperative esperez, conditional esperus)

1. to hope

• desesperigar (“to drive to despair; to dishearten, depress, despond”)

From Old Occitan esperar, inherited from Latin spērāre.

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

esperar

1. to hope
2. to wait

• esperança

• asperar

Inherited from Latin spērāre.

esperar

1. to wait (for), await
   • c. 1200, Almerich, La fazienda de ultramar, (published by Moshé Lazar, 1965, Salamanca: Universidad de Salamanca, page 211):

     En est logar dize Ysayas de Messias que esperan los Judios e non conoscen com es venido.

     In this place, Isaiah speaks of the Messiah whom the Jews await, and whom they don't know he [already] came.

2. to hope, expect
   • c. 1280, Alfonso X, General Estoria, tercera parte, (published by Pedro Sánchez-Prieto Borja and Bautista Horcajada Diezma, 1994, Madrid: Gredos):

     mientre fían en los ídolos, que son cosas sin entendimiento e sin alma, juran mal, e esperan que les non nozirá.

     While putting trust in idols, which are things without understanding nor soul, they wrongly make oaths and expect it will not harm them.

3. to trust completely (in God)
   • c. 1280, Alfonso X, General Estoria, tercera parte, (published by Pedro Sánchez-Prieto Borja and Bautista Horcajada Diezma, 1994, Madrid: Gredos):

     Toda palabra de Dios es escudo fecho con fuego para los que esperan en él.

     The word of God is a shield made of fire for those who trust in Him.

• Ladino: asperar
• Spanish: esperar

• Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1984) “esperar”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critical Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), volume II (Ce–F), Madrid: Gredos, →ISBN, page 740

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese asperar, from Latin spērō.

• Hyphenation: es‧pe‧rar

esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperei, past participle esperado)

1. to wait
   2. (transitive or intransitive) to wait (for); to await [with direct object or por ‘something’]

      Eu espero por sua resposta. ― I await your response.

      Fiquei esperando no carro. ― I waited in the car.

      Synonym: aguardar

   4. (catenative) to wait [with subject pronoun ‘for someone’ (optional) and personal infinitive ‘to do something’]

      Espere o João chegar. ― Wait for John to arrive.

      Espera que o João chegue. ― Wait for John to arrive.

      Synonym: aguardar

2. to hope
   2. (intransitive) to hope for (to really want) [with por ‘something’]

      Eles esperam pelo fim da guerra. ― They hope for the end of the war.

   4. (transitive) to hope [with que (+ subjunctive clause) ‘that someone does something’]

      Espero que gostes do presente. ― I hope you like the gift.

   6. (catenative) to hope [with infinitive ‘to do something’; or with subject pronoun ‘for someone’ (optional) and personal infinitive ‘to something’]

      Esperávamos comer alguma coisa hoje. ― We were hoping to eat something today.

4. to expect; to anticipate (to know or think that something will happen) [with direct object or por ‘something’]

   É melhor do que eu esperava. ― It is better than I expected.

   Eu já esperava por isso mesmo. ― I was expecting that anyway.

   Synonym: aguardar

• “esperar” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913

From Old Spanish esperar, inherited from Latin spērāre.

• IPA^(key): /espeˈɾaɾ/ [es.peˈɾaɾ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: es‧pe‧rar

esperar (first-person singular present espero, first-person singular preterite esperé, past participle esperado)

1. (transitive or catenative) to hope [with direct object ‘for something’ or infinitive ‘to do something’ or que (+ subjunctive clause) ‘that something happens’]

   Synonym: tener esperanza de que

   esperar con interés ― to look forward to, to eagerly await

   En vano esperaron mejores días. ― They hoped for better days in vain.

   Esperamos llegar a viejos juntos. ― We hope we'll grow old together.

   Ella espera ya estar casada cuando tenga treinta. ― She hopes she'll be already married when she's 30 years old.

   Espera que no sea necesario. ― He hopes it won't be necessary.

2. (transitive or catenative) to expect [with direct object ‘something’ or infinitive ‘to do something’ or que (+ indicative clause) ‘that something happens’]

   Synonym: anticipar

   Ellos esperan encontrar muchas dificultades. ― They expect to come across many hardships.

   Esperamos un clima adverso mañana. ― We're expecting unfavourable weather tomorrow.

   Los estudiantes esperan que no será fácil el examen. ― The students expect the exam won't be easy.

   Los huéspedes esperan que les ayudaremos. ― The guests expect we'll help them.

3. (intransitive or transitive) to wait, wait (for) [(optionally) with direct object ‘for something’ or a que (+ subjunctive clause) ‘for something to happen’]

   Por favor espera aquí. ― Please wait here.

   Te he esperado por media hora. ― I have waited for you for half an hour.

   Espero con ansias tu llegada. ― I am anxiously waiting for your arrival.

   ¡Espera a que la conozcas en persona! ― Wait till you meet her in person!

   Estamos esperando a que se suavice la lluvia. ― We're waiting for the rain to get less heavy.

4. (intransitive, reflexive) to wait, to hold on (reflexive for emphatic use)

   ¡Espera! ¡Espérate tantito! ― Wait! Hold on for a sec!

5. (reflexive, impersonal) to be expected

   Se espera que el huracán llegue mañana. ― The hurricane is expected to come tomorrow.

• “esperar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024