they were hoping, they were expecting
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| First | esperaba | esperábamos |
| Second | esperabas | — |
| Third | esperaba | esperaban |
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| First | esperaba | esperábamos |
| Second | esperabas | — |
| Third | esperaba | esperaban |
Las filas de personas que esperaban recibir comida eran más largas que antes.
The lines of people waiting to receive food were longer than before.
Tom y María dijeron que esperaban poder hacerlo.
Tom and Maria said they hoped they could do it.
Everyone else was waiting.
Sus padres le esperaban para cenar, pero no han vuelto a tener noticias de él.
His parents were expecting him for dinner, but they haven't heard from him since.
— Contratiempo (2017)
Los alumnos esperaban silenciosamente la llegada del profesor.
The students waited quietly for the teacher to arrive.
Sus amigos la esperaban a la puerta.
Her friends were waiting for her at the door.
Sé que no es la noticia que esperaban, pero aún no sacaremos a Emily del coma.
I know it's not the news you were hoping for, but we won't be bringing Emily out of her coma yet.
— La gran enfermedad del amor (2017)
La mayoría de las personas esperaban que ganara John Adams.
Most people expected John Adams to win.
Antes conducía un taxi y los clientes esperaban conversación.
I used to drive a taxi, and customers expected conversation.
— Jungla de cristal (1988)