Wait, Hope, and Expect in Portuguese: What Does Esperar Mean — Practice

Use esperar for waiting

Esperar can mean to wait. Add por before the person or thing you are waiting for, or use esperar para + infinitive for waiting to do something.

Use esperar for an expectation

Esperar also means to expect or anticipate. Context usually makes the intended meaning clear; use espero que + subjunctive when expressing an expectation about a full clause.

Use torcer para when you are rooting for an outcome

Torcer para expresses hoping that something goes well, often with a sense of rooting for the result. In speech, you may hear torço para que followed by the subjunctive or torço para + infinitive when the subject is the same.

Remember: Use esperar for waiting or expecting, and torcer para when you are hoping for a good result.

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.

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. I’m waiting for the bus.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou esperando pelo ônibus.

2. Let’s wait to order dessert.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vamos esperar para pedir a sobremesa.

3. I hope the traffic improves.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Espero que o trânsito melhore.

4. We expect an answer tomorrow.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   A gente espera uma resposta amanhã.

5. I’m hoping you get the job.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou torcendo para você conseguir o emprego.

6. I hope everything works out.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Torço para que tudo dê certo.

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.

Use esperar for waiting or expecting, and torcer para when you are hoping for a good result.

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 Wait, Hope, and Expect in Portuguese: What Does Esperar Mean? 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.