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BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE VERB

esperar

to wait, to hope

  • #32 most used
  • Regular -ar verb
  • Gerund: esperando
  • Past participle: esperado

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. eu I wait
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you wait
  3. nós we wait
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all wait

Past

Pretérito Perfeito · finished actions

  1. eu I waited
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you waited
  3. nós we waited
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all waited

Future

Futuro com ir · plans: “going to”

  1. eu I am going to wait
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you are going to wait
  3. nós we are going to wait
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all are going to wait

Imperfect

Pretérito Imperfeito · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. eu I used to wait
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you used to wait
  3. nós we used to wait
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all used to wait

Conditional

Futuro do Pretérito · “would”

  1. eu I would wait
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you would wait
  3. nós we would wait
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all would wait

Present subjunctive

Presente do Subjuntivo · wishes, doubts, “que …”

  1. eu (that) I wait
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (that) you wait
  3. nós (that) we wait
  4. vocês, eles, elas (that) you all wait

Past subjunctive

Imperfeito do Subjuntivo · “if I were”, “se …”

  1. eu (if) I waited
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (if) you waited
  3. nós (if) we waited
  4. vocês, eles, elas (if) you all waited

Future subjunctive

Futuro do Subjuntivo · “when” and “if” about the future

  1. eu (when) I wait
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (when) you wait
  3. nós (when) we wait
  4. vocês, eles, elas (when) you all wait

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders

  1. você wait!
  2. vocês wait! (all of you)

How to use esperar

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Eu espero o ônibus nessa esquina todo dia.

    I wait for the bus on this corner every day.

  2. Past

    A gente esperou uma hora pela mesa.

    We waited an hour for the table.

  3. Future

    Eu vou esperar você na porta do cinema.

    I'm going to wait for you at the cinema door.

  4. Imperfect

    Ela esperava uma resposta há semanas.

    She had been waiting for an answer for weeks.

  5. Conditional

    Eu esperaria mais um pouco antes de ligar.

    I'd wait a little longer before calling.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Ele quer que a gente espere lá fora.

    He wants us to wait outside.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Se você esperasse cinco minutos, eu iria junto.

    If you waited five minutes, I'd go with you.

  8. Future subjunctive

    Enquanto você esperar, toma um café.

    While you wait, have a coffee.

  9. Imperative

    Espere aqui, eu volto já.

    Wait here, I'll be right back.

Good to know

  • "Esperar" is both to wait and to hope: "espero você" and "espero que sim".

Where you hear esperar

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Brazilian Portuguese · Beginner Level 2

  • Eu espero o ônibus aqui. I wait for the bus here.
  • Eu esperei uma hora na fila. I waited an hour in the queue.
  • Eu vou esperar você na porta. I'm going to wait for you at the door.

Brazilian Portuguese · Beginner Level 3

  • A gente está esperando. We are waiting.
  • Eles esperaram uma hora. They waited an hour.
  • Eu vou esperar vocês aqui. I'm going to wait for you here.
9
At the Bank

Beginner Level 2 · esperar

Needs a subscription 25
In Dona Lucia's Kitchen

Beginner Level 2 · Espera! · Me espera!

Needs a subscription 7
This Isn't What I Ordered

Beginner Level 3 · esperando

Needs a subscription 23
It Was My Fault

Beginner Level 3 · eles esperaram

Needs a subscription 2
I Hope You Accept

Intermediate Level 1 · espero que

Free 4
The Interview

Intermediate Level 1 · espere

Needs a subscription 7
It Has to Be Translated

Intermediate Level 2 · esperei

Needs a subscription 1
It Must Have Stayed in Sao Paulo

Intermediate Level 3 · esperado

Free

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -ar verb.