Definition
To wait for someone or something; also to hope or expect that something will happen.
Example
Ella espera el autobús cada mañana frente a su casa.
Show translation
She waits for the bus every morning in front of her house.
Etymology
From Latin *sperare* ("to hope, to trust"), derived from *spes* ("hope"). The same root gives English "desperate" (without hope) and "prosper" (to hope forward). Over time in Spanish it merged two senses — the physical act of waiting and the emotional state of hoping — that many other languages keep in separate words.
Cultural note
One of the richest "false friends" for English speakers: *esperar* covers both "to wait" and "to hope/expect." Context (and sometimes a preposition) tells them apart — *espero el tren* (I'm waiting for the train) vs. *espero que llegues* (I hope you arrive). In Latin American culture the phrase *¡No me hagas esperar!* ("Don't make me wait!") is a very common, mildly playful expression of impatience between friends.