Esperar is a regular -ar verb in Spanish.
Practice esperar free →Esperar is a neat three-in-one verb: 'to wait', 'to hope' and 'to expect'. As a regular -ar verb it is easy to conjugate, and context makes the meaning clear — espero el autobús (I wait for the bus) versus espero que sí (I hope so). That hoping sense matters because esperar que is followed by the subjunctive (espero que tengas suerte), a reliable way to show higher-level grammar at A-Level. For GCSE, the everyday senses of waiting and hoping cover most of what you need.
Quick facts
Esperar (to wait / hope) is a regular -ar verb.
Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.
Espero el autobús (I wait for the bus). No 'for' needed in Spanish.
Espero que + subjunctive: espero que vengas (I hope you come).
Esperaba más (I was expecting more).
Esperar a + infinitive: espera a terminar (wait until you finish).
Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.
Idiomatic expressions
esperar is a regular -ar verb — it follows the standard -ar pattern in every tense. That makes it a good one to drill: if you know esperar, you know the template for all regular -ar verbs.
Type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback. That's how you actually build the automatic recall the exam needs — not from reading tables.
Practice esperar now →Three questions, no account needed. Type the form, then press Enter or tap Check.
yo: espero, tú: esperas, él: espera, nosotros: esperamos, vosotros: esperáis, ellos: esperan
The past participle is esperado (he esperado) and the gerund is esperando (estoy esperando).
Verbs that are easy to confuse with esperar or that behave like it.
Esperar is on the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas GCSE Spanish vocabulary lists. Compare the exam boards.
Written by Daniel Holmes for GCSE & A-Level Spanish students.