Portuguese Phrase
Obrigado por esperar.
Meaning
Literally, "Thank you for waiting." It expresses gratitude to someone who has been patient, often after a short delay. The phrase is polite and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
When to use
Use this phrase when you have kept someone waiting—whether in a shop, a restaurant, a meeting, or on a phone call—and you want to acknowledge their patience.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Obrigadoporesperar
Obrigado / Obrigada
The gratitude adjective agrees with the speaker’s gender: males use "obrigado", females use "obrigada".
por (preposition)
"por" introduces the reason or cause for an action, similar to English "for".
infinitive verb (esperar)
"esperar" is the infinitive form of "to wait"; after "por" the infinitive is used without a conjugated verb.
🗨In Conversation
Obrigado por esperar.
Thank you for waiting.
Sem problema!
No problem!
✕Common Mistakes
Obrigado a esperar.
The preposition "a" is incorrect here; use "por" to indicate the reason.
Obrigada por esperar.
Male speakers should use "obrigado"; "obrigada" is for females.
Obrigado por esperou.
After "por" you need the infinitive form "esperar," not the past tense "esperou."
↔Alternatives
Agradeço a sua espera.
I appreciate your waiting.
Obrigado por aguardar.
Thank you for awaiting.
Valeu por esperar.
Thanks for waiting.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, showing appreciation for someone's patience is considered good manners, especially in service settings. Remember to match "obrigado" with your gender; a female speaker would say "Obrigada por esperar." In more casual settings, younger speakers might use "Valeu" instead of "Obrigado."