Esperar Conjugation in Portuguese
esperar means “to wait” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 86 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to wait, and it is completely regular: espero, esperas, espera, esperamos, esperais, esperam. Its pretérito perfeito is esperei, esperaste, esperou, and its participle is esperado. It also means to hope and to expect. It takes the person waited for with por: espero pela Maria. This page gives you the complete conjugation of esperar — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Eu espero pela Maria todos os dias.” — “I wait for Maria.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: esperar
- English: to wait
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: esperando
- Present participle: esperante
- Past participle: esperado
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -ar verbs; pattern ar in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for esperar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read esperar in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about esperar
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -ar pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle esperado. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is esperando, the present participle is esperante and the past participle is esperado: keep all three in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions, the present participle appears as an adjective, and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those three forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for esperar. Learn the present tense first, then the pretérito perfeito and the pretérito imperfeito, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | espero |
| tu | esperas |
| ele/ela | espera |
| nós | esperamos |
| vós | esperais |
| eles/elas | esperam |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu espero pela Maria todos os dias.” — “I wait for Maria”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | esperei |
| tu | esperaste |
| ele/ela | esperou |
| nós | esperámos |
| vós | esperastes |
| eles/elas | esperaram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu esperei pela Maria ontem.” — “I waited for Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | esperava |
| tu | esperavas |
| ele/ela | esperava |
| nós | esperávamos |
| vós | esperáveis |
| eles/elas | esperavam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu esperava pela Maria antigamente.” — “I used to wait for Maria”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | esperara |
| tu | esperaras |
| ele/ela | esperara |
| nós | esperáramos |
| vós | esperáreis |
| eles/elas | esperaram |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples is used for an action completed before another past action; in everyday speech the compound form with tinha is more common. For example: “Eu esperara pela Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had waited for Maria”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | esperarei |
| tu | esperarás |
| ele/ela | esperará |
| nós | esperaremos |
| vós | esperareis |
| eles/elas | esperarão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu esperarei pela Maria amanhã.” — “I will wait for Maria”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | esperaria |
| tu | esperarias |
| ele/ela | esperaria |
| nós | esperaríamos |
| vós | esperaríeis |
| eles/elas | esperariam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu esperaria pela Maria um dia.” — “I would wait for Maria”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho esperado |
| tu | tens esperado |
| ele/ela | tem esperado |
| nós | temos esperado |
| vós | tendes esperado |
| eles/elas | têm esperado |
The pretérito perfeito composto is used for actions that started in the past and continue, or have been repeated, up to the present. For example: “Ele tem esperado pela Maria esta semana.” — “He has waited for Maria”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha esperado |
| tu | tinhas esperado |
| ele/ela | tinha esperado |
| nós | tínhamos esperado |
| vós | tínheis esperado |
| eles/elas | tinham esperado |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha esperado pela Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had waited for Maria”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei esperado |
| tu | terás esperado |
| ele/ela | terá esperado |
| nós | teremos esperado |
| vós | tereis esperado |
| eles/elas | terão esperado |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei esperado pela Maria até amanhã.” — “I will have waited for Maria”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria esperado |
| tu | terias esperado |
| ele/ela | teria esperado |
| nós | teríamos esperado |
| vós | teríeis esperado |
| eles/elas | teriam esperado |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria esperado pela Maria ontem.” — “I would have waited for Maria”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | espere |
| tu | esperes |
| ele/ela | espere |
| nós | esperemos |
| vós | espereis |
| eles/elas | esperem |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu espere pela Maria.” — “It is important that I wait for Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | esperasse |
| tu | esperasses |
| ele/ela | esperasse |
| nós | esperássemos |
| vós | esperásseis |
| eles/elas | esperassem |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after que, and in se-clauses. For example: “Era importante que eu esperasse pela Maria.” — “It was important that I wait for Maria”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | esperar |
| tu | esperares |
| ele/ela | esperar |
| nós | esperarmos |
| vós | esperardes |
| eles/elas | esperarem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu esperar pela Maria, é bom.” — “If I wait for Maria, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | espera |
| ele/ela | espere |
| nós | esperemos |
| vós | esperai |
| eles/elas | esperem |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Espera pela Maria!” — “Wait for Maria!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não esperes |
| ele/ela | não espere |
| nós | não esperemos |
| vós | não espereis |
| eles/elas | não esperem |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não esperes pela Maria.” — “Do not wait for Maria.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha esperado |
| tu | tenhas esperado |
| ele/ela | tenha esperado |
| nós | tenhamos esperado |
| vós | tenhais esperado |
| eles/elas | tenham esperado |
The presente do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a subordinate clause expressing doubt, wish or emotion. For example: “É importante que eu tenha esperado pela Maria.” — “It is important that I have waited for Maria”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse esperado |
| tu | tivesses esperado |
| ele/ela | tivesse esperado |
| nós | tivéssemos esperado |
| vós | tivésseis esperado |
| eles/elas | tivessem esperado |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse esperado pela Maria.” — “It was important that I had waited for Maria”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver esperado |
| tu | tiveres esperado |
| ele/ela | tiver esperado |
| nós | tivermos esperado |
| vós | tiverdes esperado |
| eles/elas | tiverem esperado |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver esperado pela Maria, é bom.” — “If I have waited for Maria, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | esperando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Esperando pela Maria, aprendo muito.” — “While waiting for Maria, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Present participle | esperante |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle esperante is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective. You will meet esperante more often as an adjective or a noun than as a verb form, so learn it as a word in its own right.
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | esperado |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho esperado pela Maria esta semana.” — “I have waited for Maria.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with esperar, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu espero pela Maria todos os dias.” — “I wait for Maria”
- “Tu esperaste pela Maria ontem.” — “You waited for Maria”
- “Ele esperava pela Maria antigamente.” — “He used to wait for Maria”
- “Eu esperarei pela Maria amanhã.” — “I will wait for Maria”
- “Tu esperarias pela Maria um dia.” — “You would wait for Maria”
- “Ele tem esperado pela Maria esta semana.” — “He has waited for Maria”
- “Eu tinha esperado pela Maria antes do jantar.” — “I had waited for Maria”
- “Tu terás esperado pela Maria até amanhã.” — “You will have waited for Maria”
- “É importante que eu espere pela Maria.” — “It is important that I wait for Maria”
- “Espera pela Maria!” — “Wait for Maria!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu esperar pela Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu espero pela Maria todos os dias.”
The infinitive esperar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form espero.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu esperas pela Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu espero pela Maria todos os dias.”
esperas is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with espero.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu espero pela Maria ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu esperei pela Maria ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito esperei for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou esperado pela Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho esperado pela Maria esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of esperar is formed with ter plus the past participle esperado: the eu form is tenho esperado. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “É importante que eu espero pela Maria.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu espere pela Maria.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use espere here, not the indicative espero.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho esperando pela Maria.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho esperado pela Maria esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle esperado, not the gerund esperando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on esperar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of esperar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) esperas
- B) espero
- C) espera
- D) esperamos
What is the ele/ela form of esperar in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) esperei
- B) esperaste
- C) esperou
- D) esperámos
What is the nós form of esperar in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) esperava
- B) esperavas
- C) esperáveis
- D) esperávamos
What is the tu form of esperar in the Futuro do presente?
- A) esperarás
- B) esperarei
- C) esperará
- D) esperaremos
What is the eu form of esperar in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) esperarias
- B) esperaria
- C) esperaríamos
- D) esperaríeis
What is the ele/ela form of esperar in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho esperado
- B) tens esperado
- C) tem esperado
- D) temos esperado
What is the ele/ela form of esperar in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) esperes
- B) esperemos
- C) espereis
- D) espere
What is the eu form of esperar in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) esperasse
- B) esperasses
- C) esperássemos
- D) esperásseis
What is the gerund of esperar?
- A) esperado
- B) esperando
- C) esperar
- D) espero
What does esperar mean in English?
- A) to ask for
- B) to receive
- C) to wait
- D) to pay
Answer key
- B) espero — the correct form is espero. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) esperou — the correct form is esperou. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) esperávamos — the correct form is esperávamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) esperarás — the correct form is esperarás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) esperaria — the correct form is esperaria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem esperado — the correct form is tem esperado. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) espere — the correct form is espere. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) esperasse — the correct form is esperasse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) esperando — the correct form is esperando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to wait — the correct form is to wait. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does esperar mean in English?
esperar means “to wait”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is esperar regular or irregular?
esperar is regular: it follows the ordinary -ar pattern in every tense. The gerund is esperando and the past participle is esperado.
What are the gerund and past participle of esperar?
The gerund is esperando — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is esperado — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho esperado.
Which auxiliary does esperar take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
esperar takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho esperado. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle esperado.
How do I say “I wait” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu espero pela Maria todos os dias.” — “I wait for Maria” The eu form of the present is espero, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of esperar — every tense of esperar in one place.
- Esperar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Esperar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense in Portuguese.
- Pagar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Comprar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise esperar with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise esperar with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise esperar with the interactive tool.