Esperar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

esperar — to wait — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Esperar means to wait, to hope, and to expect: esperar el autobús, espero que vengas, espero aprobar. It is regular. After esperar que the subjunctive is needed when the outcome is uncertain, which makes it a bridge verb into the subjunctive mood. On this page you will find esperar in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with esperar

In the present tense

  • “Yo espero el autobús cada mañana.” — “I wait for the bus every morning.”
  • “Ella espera a su novio en la puerta.” — “She waits for her boyfriend at the door.”
  • “Nosotros esperamos que llegue el tren.” — “We wait for the train to arrive.”
  • “Ellos esperan buenas noticias.” — “They hope for good news.”
  • “¿Tú esperas mucho tiempo aquí?” — “Do you wait long here?”
  • “Vosotros esperáis a que abra la tienda.” — “You wait for the shop to open.”

In the preterite

  • “Ayer yo esperé dos horas en el hospital.” — “Yesterday I waited two hours at the hospital.”
  • “Ella esperó en la estación hasta las diez.” — “She waited at the station until ten.”
  • “Nosotros esperamos el resultado con nervios.” — “We waited for the result nervously.”
  • “Ellos esperaron pacientemente su turno.” — “They waited patiently for their turn.”
  • “¿Tú esperaste mucho en la cola?” — “Did you wait long in the queue?”
  • “El equipo esperó el pitido final.” — “The team waited for the final whistle.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “De niño, yo esperaba el autobús cada mañana.” — “As a child, I used to wait for the bus every morning.”
  • “Mañana, yo esperaré el autobús cada mañana.” — “Tomorrow, I will wait for the bus every morning.”
  • “Si pudiera, yo esperaría el autobús cada mañana.” — “If I could, I would wait for the bus every morning.”
  • “Yo he esperado el autobús cada mañana.” — “I have waited for the bus every morning.”

Esperar in context

Cada día, yo espero el autobús cada mañana. Mi amigo también espera el autobús cada mañana cuando tiene tiempo. Después, yo espero el autobús de nuevo por la tarde. Es una parte normal de mi rutina, y por eso el presente de esperar es la primera forma que conviene aprender.

Ayer, yo esperé el autobús cada mañana. Mi amigo esperó el autobús cada mañana también, y por la noche yo esperé el autobús otra vez. Fue un día normal, pero es justo en días así cuando el pretérito de esperar aparece una y otra vez: una acción terminada, un momento concreto, y la historia sigue.

Common mistakes with esperar

Mistake 1

Wrong: Espero que vienes — wrong mood.

Right: Espero que vengas.

After esperar que with an uncertain outcome, the subjunctive is needed: espero que vengas.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Esperar por el autobús — unnecessary por.

Right: Yo espero el autobús.

To wait for the bus is esperar el autobús, not esperar por el autobús.

Quiz: esperar in everyday use

Ten questions on esperar across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of esperar in the present tense?

  • A) espero
  • B) esperas
  • C) espera
  • D) esperamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is espero.

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of esperar in the present tense?

  • A) espero
  • B) esperas
  • C) esperamos
  • D) espera

Answer: D — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is espera.

3. What is the yo form of esperar in the preterite?

  • A) esperó
  • B) esperamos
  • C) esperé
  • D) esperaste

Answer: C — The yo form in the preterite is esperé.

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of esperar in the preterite?

  • A) esperó
  • B) esperaron
  • C) esperé
  • D) esperaste

Answer: B — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the preterite is esperaron.

5. What is the yo form of esperar in the imperfect?

  • A) esperaba
  • B) esperabas
  • C) esperaba
  • D) esperábamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the imperfect is esperaba.

6. What is the tú form of esperar in the future?

  • A) esperaré
  • B) esperará
  • C) esperaremos
  • D) esperarás

Answer: D — The tú form in the future is esperarás.

7. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of esperar in the conditional?

  • A) esperarías
  • B) esperaríamos
  • C) esperaría
  • D) esperaría

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional is esperaría.

8. What is the nosotros/as form of esperar in the present perfect?

  • A) ha esperado
  • B) hemos esperado
  • C) he esperado
  • D) has esperado

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present perfect is hemos esperado.

9. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ el autobús cada mañana.” (I wait for the bus every morning.)

  • A) espero
  • B) esperas
  • C) espera
  • D) esperamos

Answer: A — The sentence needs espero.

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Espero que vengas.
  • B) Espero que vienes — wrong mood.

Answer: A — After esperar que with an uncertain outcome, the subjunctive is needed: espero que vengas.

Frequently asked questions

What does esperar mean?

esperar means “to wait” in English. Esperar means to wait, to hope, and to expect: esperar el autobús, espero que vengas, espero aprobar. It is regular. After esperar que the subjunctive is needed when the outcome is uncertain, which makes it a bridge verb into the subjunctive mood.

Is esperar regular?

Yes. esperar is a regular -ar verb, so its forms follow the standard endings in every tense. That makes it a good verb to learn early — once you know the endings, you know the verb.

When do I use esperar in the past — preterite or imperfect?

Use the preterite — esperé, esperaste, esperó — for a finished action at a specific moment, and the imperfect — esperaba, esperabas, esperaba — for what was happening, what used to happen, or the background. The same rule applies to esperar as to every Spanish verb; the tense changes the meaning, not the verb.

How can I practise esperar?

Start with the examples above, say them aloud, then take the quiz on this page. For more practice, use the Spanish Verb Quiz and the Esperar Conjugator, and read the full conjugation page for esperar to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo espero…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo esperé…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo esperaré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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