Spanish Verbs
Esperar Conjugation
Esperar is a Spanish regular AR verb meaning "to wait for" or "to hope". Verbs are considered regular if they follow a predictable pattern when conjugated.
Esperar is ranked on the 100 Most Used Spanish Verbs Poster as the #6 most used regular verb.
Present Tense
Past Tenses
Future Tenses
Subjunctive Tenses
Further Reading
100 Most Used Spanish Verbs Poster w/ Study Guide
A selection of the most used irregular and regular Spanish verb conjugations. A must have for anyone who wants to learn Spanish!
Esperar Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | espero | I wait for |
| Tú | esperas | You wait for |
| Él/Ella/ |
espera | He/She waits for |
| Nosotros | esperamos | We wait for |
| Vosotros | esperáis | You (plural) wait for |
| Ellos/ |
esperan | They wait for |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Esperar Participio
The Participio or Past Participle of Esperar is esperado. This is used to form the Esperar Present Perfect and the Esperar Past Perfect.
Esperar Gerundio
The Gerundio or Present Participle of Esperar is esperando. This is used to form the Esperar Present Continuous.
Esperar Present Continuous
The Present Continuous (presente progresivo or presente continuo) is used to describe actions that are happening right now or around now. To form the present continuous tense, combine the Estar conjugation with the Esperar Gerundio (or Present Participle).
Example: Él está siendo muy egoísta últimamente. (He is being very selfish lately.)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy esperando | I am waiting for |
| Tú | estás esperando | You are waiting for |
| Él/Ella/ |
está esperando | He/She is waiting for |
| Nosotros | estamos esperando | We are waiting for |
| Vosotros | estáis esperando | You (plural) are waiting for |
| Ellos/ |
están esperando | They are waiting for |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEsperar Past Tense
Spanish has several past tenses, each serving a specific purpose to express actions in the past.
Additionally, the use of Spanish past tenses can vary significantly across regions due to cultural and linguistic differences.
These are some of the most commonly used Spanish past tenses:
Esperar Preterite
The Preterite Tense (Pretérito or Indefinido) is used for completed actions in the past that have a clear beginning or end.
Example: Ayer comí pizza. (Yesterday, I ate pizza).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | esperé | I waited for |
| Tú | esperaste | You waited for |
| Él/Ella/ |
esperó | He/She waited for |
| Nosotros | esperamos | We waited for |
| Vosotros | esperasteis | You (plural) waited for |
| Ellos/ |
esperaron | They waited for |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEsperar Imperfect
The Imperfect Tense (Imperfecto) describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past, often without a defined start or end.
Example: Cuando era niño, jugaba fútbol todos los días. (When I was a child, I used to play soccer every day).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | esperaba | I used to wait for |
| Tú | esperabas | You used to wait for |
| Él/Ella/ |
esperaba | He/She used to wait for |
| Nosotros | esperábamos | We used to wait for |
| Vosotros | esperabais | You (plural) used to wait for |
| Ellos/ |
esperaban | They used to wait for |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEsperar Present Perfect
The Present Perfect Tense (Presente Perfecto) is used to describe actions that have been completed recently or have relevance to the present moment. The Present Perfect Tense is formed by combining the Present Tense of the auxiliary verb Haber Conjugation with the Esperar Participio.
Example: He leído ese libro. (I have read that book).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he esperado | I have waited for |
| Tú | has esperado | You have waited for |
| Él/Ella/ |
ha esperado | He/She has waited for |
| Nosotros | hemos esperado | We have waited for |
| Vosotros | habéis esperado | You (plural) have waited for |
| Ellos/ |
han esperado | They have waited for |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEsperar Past Perfect
The Past Perfect Tense (Pluscuamperfecto) refers to actions completed before another action in the past. The Past Perfect Tense is formed by combining the Imperfect Tense of the auxiliary verb Haber Conjugation with the Esperar Participio.
Example: Había comido antes de salir. (I had eaten before leaving).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había esperado | I had waited for |
| Tú | habías esperado | You had waited for |
| Él/Ella/ |
había esperado | He/She had waited for |
| Nosotros | habíamos esperado | We had waited for |
| Vosotros | habíais esperado | You (plural) had waited for |
| Ellos/ |
habían esperado | They had waited for |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEsperar Future Tense
The Future Tense (Futuro) is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. It often expresses certainty or plans about what is yet to come.
Example: Mañana comeré pizza. (Tomorrow, I will eat pizza).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | esperaré | I will wait for |
| Tú | esperarás | You will wait for |
| Él/Ella/ |
esperará | He/She will wait for |
| Nosotros | esperaremos | We will wait for |
| Vosotros | esperaréis | You (plural) will wait for |
| Ellos/ |
esperarán | They will wait for |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEsperar Conditional Tense
The Conditional Tense (Condicional) is used to express hypothetical situations, polite requests, or actions that depend on other conditions. It is often used in combination with the Future Tense.
Example: Me gustaría un café, por favor.(I would like a coffee, please).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | esperaría | I would wait for |
| Tú | esperarías | You would wait for |
| Él/Ella/ |
esperaría | He/She would wait for |
| Nosotros | esperaríamos | We would wait for |
| Vosotros | esperaríais | You (plural) would wait for |
| Ellos/ |
esperarían | They would wait for |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEsperar Subjunctive
The Subjunctive Tense (Subjuntivo) is used to express doubt, uncertainty, desire, or emotion. It is often used in dependent clauses introduced by specific conjunctions or verbs.
Example: Espero que seas feliz. (I hope you are happy).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | espere | I wait for |
| Tú | esperes | You wait for |
| Él/Ella/ |
espere | He/She waits for |
| Nosotros | esperemos | We wait for |
| Vosotros | esperéis | You (plural) wait for |
| Ellos/ |
esperen | They wait for |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topSpanish Regular Verbs
A verb is called a regular verb when its conjugation follows a consistent and predictable pattern. In contrast, a verb that does not follow these standard patterns is called an irregular verb. In Spanish, the three regular conjugation patterns are based on the verb endings: -AR, -ER, and -IR.
Spanish Conjugation Chart
Looking for more Spanish verbs like Esperar? Check out our Spanish Conjugation Chart, the 100 Most Used Spanish Verbs Poster!
