快速答案
esperar 可表示等待、预期或希望；ter esperança 明确表达乐观的希望。
可靠的方法是先判断这个词在句子里的功能，再翻译。
每个词的作用
esperar
to wait, expect, or hope
Use esperar for waiting for arrival or holding an expectation about an outcome.
ter esperança
to have hope
Use ter esperança for an explicitly hopeful attitude toward a desired result.
如何选择
- esperar: Choose esperar if the sentence points to waiting for arrival or holding an expectation about an outcome.
- ter esperança: Choose ter esperança if the sentence points to an explicitly hopeful attitude toward a desired result.
例句
Estou esperando o ônibus.
I am waiting for the bus.
Tenho esperança de que tudo melhore.
I hope that everything improves.
常见误区
Esperar por alguém usually means wait for someone. It does not automatically mean feeling hope about that person.
放到语境中练习
从你的真实生活中选一个句子，写两遍：一次用 esperar，一次用 ter esperança。如果两个版本都可以，说明意思怎样变化。