One Verb, Three Meanings
English uses wait, hope, and expect. Spanish uses one verb, esperar, and lets the frame around it tell you which meaning is intended. That is why chunks work so well here: the pattern carries the meaning.
Pattern 1: Espera / Espérame — "Wait"
The everyday command for asking someone to wait. Add the pronoun me to say wait for me.
- Espera un momento. — Wait a moment.
- Espérame aquí. — Wait for me here.
- Estoy esperando el autobús. — I'm waiting for the bus.
Chunk to learn:
Espera / Espérame + [place / time]
Pattern 2: Espero que + subjunctive — "I hope that"
Hoping that someone else does or is something triggers the subjunctive. This is one of the most useful everyday subjunctive chunks; see Subjunctive Chunks.
- Espero que estés bien. — I hope you're well.
- Espero que todo salga bien. — I hope everything goes well.
- Espero que te guste. — I hope you like it.
Chunk to learn:
Espero que + [subjunctive]
Pattern 3: Espero + infinitive — "I hope to"
When the hope is about your own action, no que is needed. Just use the infinitive.
- Espero verte pronto. — I hope to see you soon.
- Espero poder ir. — I hope to be able to go.
- Espero terminar hoy. — I hope to finish today.
Chunk to learn:
Espero + [infinitive]
Pattern 4: Esperar a que + subjunctive — "Wait until"
To wait for something to happen, add a que and use the subjunctive. It is easy to confuse with Pattern 2, so learn the two frames side by side.
- Espera a que llegue. — Wait until he arrives.
- Esperamos a que pare de llover. — We're waiting for the rain to stop.
- Esperaré a que me llames. — I'll wait until you call me.
Chunk to learn:
Esperar a que + [subjunctive]
Pattern 5: Se espera que — "It is expected that"
Common in news, forecasts, and announcements. Use the subjunctive after que.
- Se espera que llueva mañana. — Rain is expected tomorrow.
- Se espera mucha gente. — A big crowd is expected.
- Se espera que el precio suba. — The price is expected to rise.
Chunk to learn:
Se espera que + [subjunctive]
Pattern 6: Como era de esperar — "As expected"
A fixed phrase for confirming what you already suspected, often with a hint of irony.
- Como era de esperar, llegó tarde. — As expected, he arrived late.
- Como era de esperar, ganaron. — As expected, they won.
- Era de esperar. — That was to be expected.
Chunk to learn:
Como era de esperar, + [clause]
Wait, Hope, Expect
Once you recognize the frame, the meaning is clear. For related verbs of wanting and thinking, see [Querer] Chunks and [Pensar] Chunks.
Start with espero que estés bien and espérame aquí. You will use both the next time you speak Spanish.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.