La madre espera una respuesta del profesor.

The mother waits for an answer from the teacher.

Breakdown of La madre espera una respuesta del profesor.

• el profesor: the teacher
• de: from
• una: an
• la respuesta: the answer
• la madre: the mother
• esperar: to wait for

Questions & Answers about La madre espera una respuesta del profesor.

Why is the verb espera used instead of esperar in this sentence?

In Spanish, the verb ending changes depending on the subject and tense. Here, la madre is a third-person singular subject, so you use espera (the third-person singular present tense form). If you used esperar, it would be the infinitive form, which is not correct for a conjugated sentence.

Why don’t we use the word por before una respuesta (for example, "La madre espera por una respuesta del profesor")?

In Spanish, esperar already carries the idea of to wait for or to expect, so you typically don’t need an additional preposition like por. You simply say esperar algo (to wait for something) or esperar a alguien (to wait for someone).

Why is the article una used instead of la before respuesta?

Using una means an answer rather than the answer, indicating that the mother is waiting for some answer, not a specific or previously identified one. If you said la respuesta, you would be suggesting a particular, already agreed-upon answer.

What does del profesor literally mean, and could it be replaced with del maestro?

Del profesor literally means from the teacher (de + el profesor). In Spain, profesor is often used for teachers at various levels, including higher-level schools. You could say del maestro, but that often implies a teacher at an elementary level or in a more general sense. Both are grammatically correct, but they might have different connotations about the teacher’s role.

Is there a difference between La madre está esperando and La madre espera in Spanish?

Both can be used to talk about someone waiting in the present moment. La madre está esperando puts emphasis on the ongoing nature of the action (she is in the process of waiting), while La madre espera can be used in a more general sense (she waits or she is waiting). Both are correct, and the choice usually depends on the context or the aspect the speaker wants to highlight.