"My mother waits for the postman."

Translation: Minha mãe espera o carteiro.

[deathbysparkles]

Why is "espera para o carteiro" wrong?

[Paulenrique]

• esperar + para + verb
• esperar + por + noun.

[PhillipStanley]

Thank you.

[nateg_2013]

Why was the family waiting "espera pelo carteiro" but the mother is "espera o carteiro" ?

[Paulenrique]

Esperar por = expect so much for something, esperar = to wait, hope.

[BarlimanOfBree]

I don't see the difference (I wrote "espera por"). So, esperar means "calmly waits for/awaits" while esperar por means something like "anxiously awaits"?

[PhilipCask]

Yet the hints tell you to use para or pelo not o. I also don't see the difference between the two lessons where they are both "waiting" in English but one answer requires "espera pelo" and the other "espera o"

[KGBhe]

Why can't you say "A minha mãe"? Does it have to be "Minha mãe" without the article?

[Paulenrique]

both should have been accepted!

[KGBhe]

Already thought so; moito obrigado :)

[Paulenrique]

For this construction, you need to use the verb estar: minha mãe está à espera do carteiro.

But it sounds more poetic, not used in daily conversation.

[BarbaraAna843047]

Why have the Portuguese got such a poetic language ?

[RTHYAGARAJ]

Why "Minha mae espera para o carteiro " is wrong

[Paulenrique]

You should use "por" instead of "para" or no preposition at all.

[PeterMcLoughlin]

Why is this not 'Minha mãe espera do carteiro'?

[UserBob]

Only if she is pregnant and the Postman is the father.