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noun

das null, –

expect

Im Voraus denken, dass etwas bald passiert oder dass jemand etwas tut.

Definition & meaning

erwarten means to expect, to anticipate, or to wait for someone or something.

  • To think something is likely to happen: Sie erwartet Regen. — “She expects rain.”
  • To believe someone will do something or behave in a certain way: Ich erwarte eine Antwort. — “I expect an answer.”
  • To wait for someone or something: Wir erwarten den Zug. — “We’re waiting for the train.”
  • In a pregnancy context, to be expecting a child: Sie erwarten ein Kind. — “They are expecting a child.”

Grammar & Word origin

erwarten is a regular, transitive verb. Its principal forms are erwartet, erwartete, and hat erwartet. It forms the past participle with haben and is not separable: the prefix er- stays attached in forms such as ich erwarte.

The word consists of er- and warten. The prefix er- can mark a result or completion; here, erwarten developed the sense of looking ahead for something or someone.

Synonyms & antonyms

Possible synonyms include:

  • annehmen — “to assume”; often expresses a belief or supposition, rather than an expectation directed at a person.
  • vermuten — “to suspect” or “to suppose”; usually less certain.
  • mit etwas rechnen — “to reckon with” or “to anticipate”; emphasizes considering something likely.
  • entgegenblicken — “to look forward to” or “to await”; often conveys an emotional attitude toward a future event.
  • verlangen — “to demand” or “to require”; stronger than erwarten when it means having an expectation of someone.

There is no single direct antonym for all meanings of erwarten. Depending on context, an opposite idea can be expressed with nicht mit etwas rechnen (“not to expect something”) or ausschließen (“to rule something out”).

Common phrases & collocations

  • etwas von jemandem erwarten — to expect something from someone
  • eine Antwort erwarten — to expect an answer
  • Besuch erwarten — to expect visitors
  • ein Kind erwarten — to be expecting a child
  • mit Schwierigkeiten rechnen — to anticipate difficulties, a close alternative in this context

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Examples

Wir erwarten deinen Besuch.noun

We expect your visit.

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