All German word comparisons · Back to the topic overview
Meaning, sentence patterns and examples
| Word | Core meaning | Typical context | Grammar |
|---|---|---|---|
| warten | wait | a bus; someone’s arrival | warten auf + accusative |
| erwarten | expect; await | an anticipated result or visitor | direct accusative object |
| abwarten | wait for; wait and see | a result before deciding | separable; often direct accusative object |
warten
Meaning and usage: Warten means spending time until a person, event or opportunity arrives. It can stand alone when the context supplies what you are waiting for. A warten bis-clause gives the point at which the waiting ends. A separate technical meaning is servicing or maintaining equipment.
Grammar: Not separable; wartet–wartete–hat gewartet. Warten auf jemanden/etwas takes the accusative. Warten, bis … introduces a subordinate clause with its finite verb at the end.
Ich warte vor der Schule auf meine Tochter.
I am waiting for my daughter outside the school.
erwarten
Meaning and usage: Erwarten can mean expecting something to happen, requiring a standard of behaviour or awaiting an anticipated visitor. It does not necessarily mean actively spending time waiting. Ich erwarte eine Antwort can express both anticipation and an expectation that someone should reply.
Grammar: Inseparable er-; erwartet–erwartete–hat erwartet. Jemanden/etwas erwarten; etwas von jemandem erwarten uses von + dative. A dass-clause can state the expected action.
Wir erwarten morgen Besuch aus Hamburg.
We are expecting visitors from Hamburg tomorrow.
abwarten
Meaning and usage: Abwarten commonly means letting a period pass or awaiting an outcome before making a decision. It often suggests patience or deliberate restraint. It can also mean simply waiting for someone; “wait and see” is a useful tendency, not its only dictionary meaning.
Grammar: Separable: wartet ab–wartete ab–hat abgewartet. Einen Zeitpunkt or ein Ergebnis abwarten; also without an object. Abwarten, wie … introduces a subordinate question.
Wir warten die Antwort der Schule ab, bevor wir buchen.
We wait for the school’s reply before we book.
Overlap and context
Warten auf die Antwort and die Antwort abwarten can describe the same delay. Abwarten often makes the next decision relevant; erwarten foregrounds anticipation or a demand. Context can outweigh these tendencies. If a doctor einen Patienten erwartet, the patient is due; if the doctor auf ihn wartet, the sentence foregrounds the wait.
Common mistakes
- Avoid Ich warte dich. Use Ich warte auf dich.
- Avoid Ich erwarte auf deine Antwort. Use Ich erwarte deine Antwort.
- Do not assume erwarten promises that an event will certainly happen. An expectation can be wrong.
Memory aid: Warten: time passes. Erwarten: you anticipate. Abwarten: leave time for an outcome before proceeding.
Try it
Complete: Bitte warte ___ den Bus.
Show the answer
auf
Warten uses auf + accusative for the thing or person awaited.