Esperar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of esperar — to wait — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. 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. This page gives you the complete present tense table for esperar, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Yo espero el autobús cada mañana.” — “I wait for the bus every morning”.

Present tense conjugation of esperar

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for esperar. Esperar is a regular -ar verb, so you can build the present tense from the regular endings once you know the stem.

Present tense indicative — esperar

Person Form
yo espero
tú esperas
él/ella/Ud. espera
nosotros/as esperamos
vosotros/as esperáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. esperan

The gerund of esperar is esperando and the past participle is esperado. You need the participle for the perfect tenses and the gerund for the progressive with estar.

How the present tense of esperar is formed

For a regular -ar verb, the present tense is built on the stem esper- (the infinitive esperar without its -ar ending) plus the present tense endings: yo → espero, tú → esperas, él/ella/Ud. → espera, nosotros/as → esperamos, vosotros/as → esperáis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → esperan. So esperar gives espero, esperas, espera, esperamos, esperáis and esperan. There is nothing irregular to memorise for this verb in this tense — the endings do all the work, and the stress falls where the endings put it.

A note on spelling: the written accents in this tense are part of the form, not decoration. In the present tense, esperáis carries an accent, and leaving it out changes the pronunciation and, in writing, marks the form as wrong. Copy the forms from the table above exactly, accents included.

When to use the present tense of esperar

1. Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly. For example, with esperar: “Yo espero el autobús cada mañana.” — “I wait for the bus every morning”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are always true. For example, with esperar: “Ella espera a su novio en la puerta.” — “She waits for her boyfriend at the door”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. What is happening right now

Use the present for actions in progress at this moment. For example, with esperar: “Nosotros esperamos que llegue el tren.” — “We wait for the train to arrive”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Scheduled plans and the near future

Use the present for fixed plans, especially with a time expression. For example, with esperar: “Ellos esperan buenas noticias.” — “They hope for good news”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: esperar now, esperar later

The present and the future both talk about things that have not happened yet in one sense, but they are not interchangeable. The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the future is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare the pairs below — the present form comes from this page, the future form from the full conjugation table.

  • Present tense tense: “Yo espero el autobús todos los días.” — “I wait for the bus every day.”

  • Future: “Yo esperaré el autobús mañana.” — “Tomorrow I will wait for the bus.”

  • Present tense tense: “Ella espera el autobús ahora.” — “She waits for the bus now.”

  • Future: “Ella esperará el autobús la semana que viene.” — “Next week she will wait for the bus.”

  • Present tense tense: “Nosotros esperamos el autobús en clase.” — “We wait for the bus in class.”

  • Future: “Nosotros esperaremos el autobús el lunes.” — “On Monday we will wait for the bus.”

Example sentences: esperar in the present tense

Six sentences using only the present tense of esperar, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “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.”

Common mistakes with esperar in the present tense

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 the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense of esperar. 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 tú form of esperar in the present tense?

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

Answer: D — The tú form in the present tense is esperas.

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

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

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

4. What is the nosotros/as form of esperar in the present tense?

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

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present tense is esperamos.

5. 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.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ a su novio en la puerta.” (She waits for her boyfriend at the door.)

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

Answer: D — The sentence needs espera.

7. Which sentence is correct?

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

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

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo espero el autobús.
  • B) Esperar por el autobús — unnecessary por.

Answer: A — To wait for the bus is esperar el autobús, not esperar por el autobús.

Frequently asked questions

Is esperar regular in the present tense?

Yes. esperar is a regular -ar verb and its present tense follows the standard endings, so once you know the stem esper- you can build all six forms. The only thing to watch is the spelling of the endings themselves, including the accents.

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

It is espero. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for esperar it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the present tense of esperar instead of the preterite?

Use the present when the action is a habit, a fact, or happening now, and the preterite when it is a finished action in the past. If you can add “yesterday” to the sentence and it still makes sense, you almost certainly need the preterite, not the present.

How can I remember the present tense forms of esperar?

Say the six forms aloud in order — espero, esperas, espera, esperamos, esperáis, esperan — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and 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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