Portuguese verb

Conjugation of esperar

The Portuguese verb esperar means "to hope, wait". Below are its 7 tenses as tables, 4 example sentences and answers to 3 common questions. Press play next to a present tense form or an example to hear it.

Meaning
to hope, wait
Type
Regular -ar verb
Gerund
esperando
Past participle
esperado
Quick answer

The present tense of esperar is eu espero, tu esperas, ele/ela espera, nós esperamos, vós esperais, eles/elas esperam. It is a regular -ar verb, so every tense takes the standard -ar endings. The tables below cover 7 tenses, from the present to the imperative. Every present form and 4 example sentences have a listen button.

Present tense of esperar

Present Presente
eu espero
tu esperas
ele/ela espera
nós esperamos
vós esperais
eles/elas esperam

More tenses of esperar

Simple past Pretérito perfeito
eu esperei
tu esperaste
ele/ela esperou
nós esperámos
vós esperastes
eles/elas esperaram
Imperfect Pretérito imperfeito
eu esperava
tu esperavas
ele/ela esperava
nós esperávamos
vós esperáveis
eles/elas esperavam
Future Futuro
eu esperarei
tu esperarás
ele/ela esperará
nós esperaremos
vós esperareis
eles/elas esperarão
Conditional Condicional
eu esperaria
tu esperarias
ele/ela esperaria
nós esperaríamos
vós esperaríeis
eles/elas esperariam
Present subjunctive Presente do subjuntivo
que eu espere
que tu esperes
que ele/ela espere
que nós esperemos
que vós espereis
que eles/elas esperem
Imperative Imperativo
tu espera
você espere
nós esperemos
vós esperai
vocês esperem

Notes on esperar

Esperar is regular. Its forms follow the regular -ar pattern, including espero, esperei, esperava, and esperarei.

Meet esperar in real Portuguese books

Lingo7 is an app for reading books in Portuguese with a translation under every sentence and audio, so the forms in these tables come back in context.

Example sentences with esperar

  • Espero o autocarro junto à estação. I am waiting for the bus near the station.
  • Ontem esperei muito tempo pelo médico. Yesterday I waited a long time for the doctor.
  • Quando era criança, esperava cartas dos avós. When I was a child, I waited for letters from my grandparents.
  • Amanhã esperaremos notícias depois do almoço. Tomorrow we will wait for news after lunch.

Frequently asked questions

Is esperar a regular Portuguese verb?

Yes, esperar is regular. Its forms follow the regular -ar model shown in the table.

What are the present tense forms of esperar?

The forms are espero, esperas, espera, esperamos, esperais, and esperam.

What are the participle and gerund of esperar?

The past participle is esperado. The gerund is esperando.