Palabra Lexi · common words in Spanish
How to say "to wait" in Spanish
"To wait" in Spanish is esperar, pronounced es-peh-RAR (stress on the syllable in capitals).
| Spanish | esperar |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | es-peh-RAR |
| Meaning | to wait |
| Part of speech | verb |
| Frequency | #142 in the Palabra list of common Spanish words |
Pronunciation is spelled out in English, one syllable at a time, with the stressed syllable in capitals. The speaker button uses your browser's built-in Spanish voice.
How to pronounce esperar
Esperar is pronounced es-peh-RAR, in IPA /espeˈɾaɾ/. Esperar has three syllables, es-peh-RAR, with the stress on the third. There is no written accent because the word follows the basic rule: words ending in a consonant other than -n or -s are stressed on the last syllable.
Listen: normal and slow speed, in your browser's Spanish voice. IPA: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
Example sentences
Espero el autobús
I wait for the bus
Ella espera una carta
She is waiting for a letter
Espero que vengas
I hope you come
"To wait" in Spain and Latin America
Esperar is also "to hope": Espero que sí (I hope so).
Useful phrases
- Espera un momento.
Wait a moment.
Regional words and roots: Diccionario de la lengua española (RAE). Spanish varies by region, so treat these as the most common patterns, not strict rules.
How to remember esperar
esperar [es-peh-RAR] sounds like the English “espresso”. Picture this:
You wait exactly one espresso: the bus arrives on the last sip.
A sound-alike plus a vivid scene is the keyword method, a well-studied way to learn vocabulary. How it works.
Practice esperar
Two quick games, right here: no sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere.