| Principal Translations |
| wait⇒ vi | (remain in expectation) | esperar⇒ vi |
| | The results haven't come out yet, I am still waiting. |
| | Todavía no han llegado los resultados, seguimos esperando. |
| wait for [sb/sth] vi + prep | (await) | esperar⇒ vtr |
| Note: Ante complemento directo de persona debe usarse la preposición «a». |
| | I'm waiting for someone special. |
| | Estoy esperando a alguien especial. |
| wait for [sb/sth] to do [sth] vi + prep | (await [sth]) | esperar a que alguien haga algo loc verb |
| | | esperar hasta que alguien haga algo loc verb |
| | We are going to wait for the office to open. |
| | Vamos a esperar a que abra la oficina. |
| wait vi | (be available) | esperar⇒ vi |
| | | estar disponible adj mf |
| | | estar libre adj mf |
| | There are taxis waiting at the corner. |
| | Los taxis esperan en la esquina. |
| wait on [sb] vtr phrasal insep | (serve food) | atender a vtr + prep |
| | Get your own coffee; I'm not here to wait on you! |
| | Sírvete tú mismo el café; ¡no estoy aquí para atenderte! |
| wait n | (time spent waiting) | espera nf |
| | I don't mind the wait. |
| | No me importa la espera. |
| wait n | (delay) | espera nf |
| | | demora nf |
| | We are in for a long wait. |
| | Vamos a tener una larga espera. |
Locuciones verbales
|
wait around,
also UK: wait about vi phrasal | (wait for [sb/sth]) | esperar⇒ vtr |
| | | quedarse esperando loc verb |
| wait on [sb] vtr phrasal insep | (bar, restaurant: serve) | atender a vtr + prep |
| | Gina was waiting on a customer at the restaurant. |
| | Gina estaba atendiendo a un cliente en el restaurante. |
| wait [sth] out vtr phrasal sep | (be patient while [sth] is in progress) | esperar a que loc verb |
| | | aguardar a que loc verb |
| wait up vi phrasal | informal (stay awake until [sb] arrives home) | esperar despierto loc verb |
| | He's 23 years old; you need not wait up for him anymore. |
| | Tiene 23 años; ¡ya no es necesario que lo esperes despierta! |
| | | esperar levantado loc verb |
| | | esperar en pie loc verb |
| wait upon [sb] vtr phrasal insep | formal (serve) | servir a vi + prep |
| | Servants waited upon the aristocrats. |
| | Los sirvientes servían a los aristócratas. |
Compound Forms:
|
| can hardly wait v expr | (feel impatient, excited) | apenas poder esperar expr |
| | I can hardly wait for my birthday! This has been such a rotten day, I can hardly wait for it to be over. |
| | ¡Apenas puedo esperar a que sea mi cumpleaños! Este ha sido un día tan podrido, apenas puedo esperar a que se termine. |
| | | no ver la hora expr |
| | ¡No veo la hora de que sea mi cumpleaños! Este ha sido un día tan podrido, no veo la hora de que se termine. |
| can't wait for [sth] v expr | figurative, informal (be impatient for) (informal) | no poder esperar a algo, no ver la hora de algo loc verb |
| | | esperar algo con ansias loc verb |
| | I can't wait for this day to be over. |
| | No veo la hora de que este día se acabe. |
| I can't wait! interj | (I am excited about [sth]) (informal) | ¡no puedo esperar!, ¡no veo la hora! expr |
| | | ¡estoy ansioso! expr |
| | "This time next week we'll be on holiday." "I can't wait!" |
| | —A esta hora la semana que viene estaremos de vacaciones. —¡No puedo esperar! |
lie in ambush,
wait in ambush v expr | (be hidden, wait to attack) | emboscarse⇒ v prnl |
| | | esconderse y esperar para atacar loc verb |
| | The outlaws lay in ambush, waiting for the stagecoach to pass. |
| | Los forajidos se emboscaron para esperar el paso de la diligencia. |
| lie in wait v expr | (hide, await [sb]) | estar al acecho loc verb |
| Note: Usually used in continuous tenses. |
| | When the victim arrived home, his attacker was already lying in wait. |
| | Cuando la víctima llegó a su casa, el atacante ya estaba al acecho. |
| lie in wait for [sb] v expr | (hide, await [sb]) | estar al acecho de loc verb |
| | | esperar escondido a loc verb |
| | The man was convicted of first degree murder because he had been lying in wait for the victim. |
queue (UK),
wait in line (US),
wait on line (US,
regional) vi | UK (wait in a line of people, vehicles) | hacer fila, hacer cola loc verb |
| | | ponerse en la fila, ponerse en la cola loc verb |
| | People were queuing outside the shop at 5 am on the day of the sale. |
| | La gente hacía fila en la puerta del negocio desde las 5 de la mañana el día de las rebajas. |
| wait a long time v expr | (endure a considerable delay) | esperar mucho rato |
| | Because of the crowds we had to wait a long time. |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Espero que no nos hagan esperar mucho rato. |
| | | esperar un montón vtr |
| | ⓘEsta oración no es una traducción de la original. Tuvimos que esperar un montón en la cola para la montaña rusa. |
| | | esperar largo tiempo vi |
| wait a minute interj | informal (wait for a moment) | espera, esperá, espere un momento interj |
| | Wait a minute! - please repeat what you just said. |
| | Esperá un momento; ¿me podrías repetir lo que dijiste? |
| wait a second interj | informal (wait for a moment) | un segundo, por favor interj |
| | Just wait a second; I'm almost ready now. |
| | Un segundo por favor, ya casi estoy lista. |
| wait and see v expr | (wait to find out) | espera y verás expr |
| | | espera expr |
| | Wait and see. You might win the prize. |
| | Espera y verás, quizás te ganes el premio. |
wait for the dust to settle,
let the dust settle v expr | figurative (wait for situation to calm down) | dejar que las cosas decanten, dejar que las cosas se acomoden loc verb |
| wait for the other shoe to drop v expr | US, informal, figurative (wait for [sth] inevitable to happen) | sentir que todavía puede pasar algo malo expr |
| wait in the wings v expr | figurative (await opportunity) (figurado) | esperar entre bastidores loc verb |
| | | esperar la oportunidad loc verb |
| | My best friend's waiting in the wings for me to finish with my girlfriend so he can ask her out. |
| wait it out v expr | informal (wait patiently for [sth]) | esperar pacientemente loc verb |
| wait on [sb/sth] vi + prep | (await) | esperar⇒ vtr |
| Note: Ante complemento directo de persona debe usarse la preposición «a». |
| | Rachel was waiting on her brother's arrival. |
| | Rachel estaba esperando la llegada de su hermano. |
| wait on [sb] hand and foot expr | (tend to [sb]'s every need) | desvivirse por alguien v prnl + prep |
| | (ES: coloquial) | traer a alguien en palmitas loc verb |
wait tables,
wait on tables v expr | US (restaurant job) | ser camarero, ser camarera loc verb |
| | To make extra money, I waited tables in college. |
| | Para ganar dinero extra, fui camarera durante la universidad. |
| Wait up! interj | (Wait for me!) (tú) | espera interj |
| | (vos) | esperá interj |
| | (usted) | espere interj |
| wait your turn v expr | (be patient) | esperar tu turno loc verb |
| | You should wait your turn. |
| | Deberías esperar tu turno. |
| be worth the wait v expr | (be worth waiting for) | valer la pena la espera loc verb |
You wait and see!,
Just you wait and see! interj | informal (I'll show you I'm right) | ya verás loc interj |
| | | espera y verás loc interj |