How to Say “Wait” in Portuguese: Esperar, Aguardar, and Só um Minuto — Practice

The quickest way to say “wait”

To ask someone to wait in Brazilian Portuguese, say “Espera um pouco” in a casual conversation, or “Pode esperar um momento, por favor?” for a polite request. “Aguarde, por favor” is common in service announcements and more formal instructions.

Esperar is the everyday verb you will use in many situations. Aguardar also means to wait or await; it often sounds more formal, especially in a recorded message. Neither choice is automatically polite or rude: your tone, wording and relationship matter.

Match the request to the situation

With a friend who is already leaving, “Espera aí!” is short and natural. In a shop, “Só um momento, por favor” buys you time without using a command. In a phone queue, you may hear “Aguarde na linha”.

Espera is widespread in informal Brazilian speech, including when addressing someone as você. Espere is the standard imperative associated with você. You will hear both; do not assume that every speaker follows the same regional pattern.

Say who or what you are waiting for

Use esperar followed by the person or thing: “Estou esperando o ônibus.” You can also say “Estou esperando por você.” Aguardar normally takes its object directly: “Aguardo sua resposta.”

To tell someone they do not have to wait, use “Não precisa me esperar”. To explain a delay, add a useful detail rather than only repeating the verb.

A short conversation at a café

Imagine that you are choosing a drink and the server returns. Read the exchange once, then cover the English and take the customer’s turn. The setting explains why the same verb can sound different from a command shouted across a room.

Remember: Ask a friend to wait while you collect your keys. Then make the same request to someone helping you at a counter. Change the tone and add por favor.

When esperar means “hope” or “expect”

Esperar has other meanings. “Espero que dê certo” means “I hope it works out”; it is not a request to wait. “Eu esperava uma resposta diferente” means “I expected a different answer”. The surrounding sentence tells you which meaning fits.

This guide focuses on asking someone to wait. For the wider wait/hope/expect contrast, use the related esperar meaning guide rather than treating aguardar as a replacement in every sentence.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Choose the language for the situation

Now use the explanation to decide what fits the situation. Check the reason for the answer, not just the option you chose.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. Wait a second!

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Espera aí!

2. Just a minute, please.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Só um minuto, por favor.

3. Can you wait a moment?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Pode esperar um momento?

4. Wait a second; I’m going to get my bag.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Espera aí, vou pegar minha bolsa.

5. Please wait here.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Espere aqui, por favor.

6. Please hold the line.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Aguarde na linha, por favor.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Ask a friend to wait while you collect your keys. Then make the same request to someone helping you at a counter. Change the tone and add por favor.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our How to Say “Wait” in Portuguese: Esperar, Aguardar, and Só um Minuto lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.