Meaning
Stay until something happens; expect something to occur.
Primary Function
Expressing expectation
Communicative Purpose
Indicating that one is remaining in place or delaying action until a person, event, or thing occurs.
Pattern
wait for
Core Structure
wait for
Função primária
Expressing expectation
Propósito comunicativo
Indicating that one is remaining in place or delaying action until a person, event, or thing occurs.
Situações de gatilho
Arriving at a bus stop, expecting a reply, anticipating results, meeting someone at a designated time
Contextos
Everyday conversation, professional settings such as offices, customer service, and travel scenarios
Padrão
wait for
Estrutura central
wait for
Slots de substituição
the bus, a reply, the results, her/him/them
Colocados típicos
- can't wait for
- still waiting for
- patiently waiting for
Substituições comuns
- await (more formal)
- anticipate (implies eagerness)
Erros comuns
Omitting 'for' — e.g., '*I wait the bus' instead of 'I wait for the bus'
Similar / contraste
await (formal, no preposition), hold on (implies brief wait), stay (more general)
Interferências
Learners from languages that use a direct object with 'wait' (e.g., Spanish 'esperar algo') often omit 'for' in English.
Família do chunk
- waiting room
- waiting list
- waiting game
Nuance
'Can't wait for' expresses eager or impatient anticipation; 'wait for' alone is neutral and patient.
Efeito pragmático
Signals patience, anticipation, or a required delay before the next action; helps structure temporal sequences in conversation.
Dica de memória
Wait for it
Nota
The chunk 'wait for' is a common prepositional verb in English used to express expectation or patience. It is essential to include the preposition 'for' after 'wait' in English, unlike in some other languages.
Upgrade path
wait for ages
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