Esperando por...

Question

Were one asked, "Qué hacías?" and they replied, "esperaba para ti," their answer would be clear enough. However, were they to reply, "te esperaba," their answer would be equally candid, which leads to the question: those of you who live/have lived, are surrounded by/have been surrounded by the Spanish speaking world, what would you expect to hear? How would you say that an why that way?

Hasta entonces, esperaré-

Is there something missing from your post? - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 7, 2013

Mucho. - jstackiv, Dec 7, 2013

Jaja - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 7, 2013

I just edited your post to make all of the text visible. :) - NikkiLR, Dec 9, 2013

Answer 1

The use of "para ti" in a statement like "esperaba para it" is very common here in Mexico.

Even people with limited education who say things like "fuistes", "suidad", "güey", etc don´t use para/por after esperar - in mainland Mexico. I assume this usage in BC is adopted from all the tourists and retirees from the USA - but it´s absolutely incorrect.

Possibly they are saying: esperaba a ti. This form is not as common as the others that KiwiGirl mentioned, but it´s correct.

Julian you may be right that it is incorrect and is not used in mainland Mexico but it is used here and it may well be the US influence. Sylyon lives in a US/Mexico border area so there would I assume be a lot of US influence there. I wonder if she... - gringojrf, Dec 7, 2013

...has heard por/para used in this way. If not it may just be a baja thing. - gringojrf, Dec 7, 2013

I haven´t heard por or para used with it here in TX, but to be fair, I miss a lot. ;) I think I´ve heard estaba esperándote though. Possible? - rogspax, Dec 7, 2013

And I would guess it´s linguistic interference from tourists from north of the border. - rogspax, Dec 7, 2013

Hola. Yo he oído "Esperaba por tí"(Waiting for you), pero no "esperaba para tí". It is actually quite common, but "Te estaba esperando", "Esperándote" are correct. It might be a thing of the border :-) Arriba el norte! jajajaja - 00e46f15, Dec 8, 2013

Answer 2

The use of "para ti" in a statement like "esperaba para it" is very common here in Mexico.

Interesting, I wonder if that construction has been absorbed from the English? - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 7, 2013

I don't know. I will say that I have been told many times that many Mexicans misuse both por and para on a regular basis. And yet we all struggle so hard to get it right when many natives use them somewhat interchangeably. - gringojrf, Dec 7, 2013

Sure there are rules but just like in English some rules are almost never followed, like the use of who and whom. - gringojrf, Dec 7, 2013

Makes sense, and to the point. - jstackiv, Dec 7, 2013

Answer 3

I would avoid the whole por para issue by saying 'estaba esperándote' or 'te estaba esperando'.

Or even, estaba esperando tu llegada.

Estoy de acuerdo! - annierats, Dec 7, 2013

Amas tener razón... - jstackiv, Dec 8, 2013

Answer 4

chileno Mirar = to look Mirar a = to look at

I'm afraid I don't quite agree with that Chileno.

Sure you use the preposition 'a' after mirar when your object is a person.

Mira a Juan.

but I wouldn't say it means 'at'.

Otherwise you would have to say ...

Mira al libro. but you just say ... Mira el libro.

El perro mira (looks at) el gato. etc

Mirar is just one of those verbs that are usually followed directly by an object (noun or pronoun), with no preposition, whereas their English do require a preposition.

Others include:

acordar to agree on

agradecer to thank for

aprovechar to take advantage of

buscar to look for

escuchar to listen to

esperar to wait for

lograr to manage to, succeed in

mirar to look at

pagar to pay for

pedir to ask for

temer to be afraid of

I found this in the dictionary: (orientarse) mirar a -> to face - gringojrf, Dec 8, 2013

oh yeah, I forgot about that - nice :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 8, 2013

Bien hecho, los dos de ustedes. - jstackiv, Dec 8, 2013

Answer 5

Que dije: Were one asked, "qué hacías?" and they replied, "esperaba para ti," their answer would be clear enough. However, were they to reply, "te esperaba," their meaning would be equally obvious, which leads to the question: those of you who are surrounded/have been surrounded by the Spanish speaking culture, what would you expect to hear, and what would you say?.....though I think gringo might have answered that since my original attempt.

I think they are both equally likely to be heard. Te esperaba is very common as well. - gringojrf, Dec 7, 2013

..and I thin te esperaba is probably more correct. - gringojrf, Dec 7, 2013

Answer 6

Again, I am lost...

John asked

Were one asked, "Qué hacías?" and they replied, "esperaba para ti,"

which if coupled with the title of the thread "esperando por", then:

how anyone can surmise that the real question is "omitting" the preposition?!?!

Anyhow,

Mirar = to look

Mirar a = to look at

mirar hacia = to look to...

etc.

Would that help?

all good apart from the 'mirar a' meaning to look 'at' - I'd have to disagree with that one jeje :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 8, 2013

Answer 7

jstackiv The way Kiwi originally answered, " Esperándote y te estaba esperanda," are actually the point that I was driving at: when is it okay to omit the prepositions para y por after a verb that does not have a preposition attached to it, such as, "buscar" o "mirar"? I have heard and seen variations of all of the above, appreciate all of the input from all of you, and will appreciate a little bit more. Hasta entonces, esperaré- John

I'm not sure that I get your question but rather that it being a case of when is it ok to omit the preposition, it would just always be wrong to use the preposition with any verb that already contains the meaning of the preposition.

Eg. Buscar means 'to look for' so adding por or para is unnecessary and would be like saying 'I'm looking for for ....'

Mirar means to look 'at' so adding 'a' would give you 'I am looking at at'.

Is that what you mean.

That's exactly what I mean. - jstackiv, Dec 8, 2013

oh good lol :) - Kiwi-Girl, Dec 8, 2013

So when is it okay to omit a preposition from a verb that it does not include, e.g. esperar? Are there any rules of grammar applicable to this, or is it just preferance and clarity? - jstackiv, Dec 8, 2013

Answer 8

The way Kiwi originally answered, " Esperándote y te estaba esperanda," are actually the point that I was driving at: when is it okay to omit the prepositions para y por after a verb that does not have a preposition attached to it, such as, "buscar" o "mirar"? I have heard and seen variations of all of the above, appreciate all of the input from all of you, and will appreciate a little bit more. Hasta entonces, esperaré- John

Answer 9

Te esperaba (a ti)

Esperaba por ti.

Esperándote

Those are the one you can use, only.