Waiting for something to finish

Ahora solo estoy esperando a que el arroz termine.

👉 “Esperar a que (something) termine” is the correct way to say “waiting for something to finish.”

And it triggers the subjunctive.

In English, we say: “I’m waiting for something to finish.”

But in Spanish, “esperar” (to wait) is often followed by “a que” when talking about an event that needs to happen.

  • “Estoy esperando a que termine.” → I’m waiting for it to finish.
  • “Espero a que llegues.” → I wait for you to arrive.

Esperar + a que + subjunctive

In Spanish, when you “wait for something to happen,” that thing is uncertain—it hasn’t finished yet. This triggers the subjunctive.

SpanishEnglish
Espero a que termines.I wait for you to finish.
Estamos esperando a que empiece la película.We are waiting for the movie to start.
Voy a esperar a que cocine el arroz.I’m going to wait for the rice to cook.
SubjectHablar (to speak)Comer (to eat)Vivir (to live)
Yohablecomaviva
Túhablescomasvivas
Él/Ella/Ustedhablecomaviva
Nosotros/ashablemoscomamosvivamos
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.hablencomanvivan
SubjectHablar (to speak)Comer (to eat)Vivir (to live)
Yohablaracomieraviviera
Túhablarascomierasvivieras
Él/Ella/Ustedhablaracomieraviviera
Nosotros/ashabláramoscomiéramosviviéramos
Ellos/Ellas/Uds.hablarancomieranvivieran

What If There’s No Action?

If you’re just waiting for a thing (not an action), then “a que” is NOT needed.

✅ “Espero el autobús.” → I wait for the bus.
✅ “Estoy esperando mi café.” → I’m waiting for my coffee.

BUT:
✅ “Estoy esperando a que llegue el autobús.” → I’m waiting for the bus to arrive.
✅ “Espero a que traigan mi café.” → I’m waiting for them to bring my coffee.

Your task is to decide if they require “esperar” (waiting for a thing) or “esperar a que” (waiting for something to happen) in Spanish.

  1. I am waiting for my friend.
  2. We are waiting for the rain to stop.
  3. She is waiting for her coffee.
  4. They are waiting for the movie to start.
  5. I will wait for your answer.
  6. He is waiting for his phone to charge.
  7. We are waiting for the bus.
  8. Are you waiting for me to finish?
  9. I was waiting for my food.
  10. She is waiting for the traffic light to change.

Here are five pairs of sentences where one is waiting for a thing and the other is waiting for something to happen. Your task is to translate them into Spanish, choosing between “esperar” or “esperar a que” correctly.

I am waiting for my friend.
I am waiting for my friend to call me.

She is waiting for the package.
She is waiting for the package to be delivered.

We are waiting for the store to open.
We are waiting for the store manager.

He was waiting for the lights to turn on.
He was waiting for the new lightbulbs.

They are waiting for the teacher.
They are waiting for the teacher to explain the homework.

I am waiting for my friend. → Estoy esperando a mi amigo.
I am waiting for my friend to call me. → Estoy esperando a que mi amigo me llame.

She is waiting for the package. → Ella está esperando el paquete.
She is waiting for the package to be delivered. → Ella está esperando a que entreguen el paquete.

We are waiting for the store to open. → Estamos esperando a que la tienda abra.
We are waiting for the store manager. → Estamos esperando al gerente de la tienda.

He was waiting for the lights to turn on. → Él estaba esperando a que se encendieran las luces.
He was waiting for the new lightbulbs. → Él estaba esperando las nuevas bombillas.

They are waiting for the teacher. → Ellos están esperando al profesor.
They are waiting for the teacher to explain the homework. → Ellos están esperando a que el profesor explique la tarea.

Exploring common scenarios of ‘waiting’

“I had to wait for the bus.”

✅ “Tenía que esperar el autobús.” (No subjunctive)
✅ “Tuve que esperar el autobús.” (No subjunctive)

💡 Why?

  • “Had to wait” means the waiting already happened, and you’re talking about waiting for a thing (the bus), not an action.
  • Since esperar is followed by a noun (el autobús), there’s no need for “a que” or the subjunctive.

“I’m waiting for the doctor.”

✅ “Estoy esperando al doctor.” (No subjunctive)

💡 Why?

  • The doctor is a person, not an action, so no subjunctive needed.
  • “Esperar + noun” is enough.

“I’m waiting for my phone to charge.”

✅ “Estoy esperando a que mi teléfono se cargue.” (Present Subjunctive)

💡 Why?

  • You’re waiting for an action to happen (the phone charging), not just an object.
  • The action hasn’t happened yet, which triggers the subjunctive.

“I was waiting for the light to change.”

✅ “Estaba esperando a que el semáforo cambiara.” (Past Subjunctive)

💡 Why?

  • You were waiting for an action to happen (the light changing).
  • The action was uncertain at the time (it hadn’t changed yet).
  • Your main verb “was waiting” (estaba esperando) is in the past, so you need past subjunctive (cambiara).