they arrived sooner than I expected

esperaban noticias de los rehenes — they were waiting for o awaiting news of the hostages

de aquí te espero * —

un lío de aquí te espero — * a tremendous row *

- ya nos pagará -espero que sea así — "he'll pay us, you'll see" - "I hope you're right o I hope so"

• era de esperar — it was to be expected

• no esperaba menos de ti — I expected nothing o no less of you

¡espera un momento, este no es mi libro! — hold on o wait a minute, this isn't my book!

esperar a o hasta que algn haga algo — to wait for sb to do sth

• hacer esperar a algn — keep sb waiting

ya verás la que te espera en casa! — (fam) you'll catch it o you'll be for it when you get home! (colloq)

eso espero or espero que sí — I hope so

espera, que bajo contigo — wait a minute o (colloq) hold on, I'll come down with you

esperar a + inf: espera a estar seguro wait until you're sure; esperar (a) que + subj: esperaron (a) que él se fuera para entrar they waited for him to go before they went in; espera (a) que te llamen wait until they call you; esperar sentado (fam): si piensa que lo voy a llamar puede esperar sentado if he thinks I'm going to call him he's got another think coming (colloq); ¿que él cambie de idea? mejor espera sentada him change his mind? some hope!; quien espera desespera — waiting's the worst part

no me esperaba eso de él — I didn't expect that of o from him

ya verás la que te espera en casa! — (fam) you'll catch it o you'll be for it when you get home! (colloq)

eso espero or espero que sí — I hope so

espera, que bajo contigo — wait a minute o (colloq) hold on, I'll come down with you

esperar a + inf: espera a estar seguro wait until you're sure; esperar (a) que + subj: esperaron (a) que él se fuera para entrar they waited for him to go before they went in; espera (a) que te llamen wait until they call you; esperar sentado (fam): si piensa que lo voy a llamar puede esperar sentado if he thinks I'm going to call him he's got another think coming (colloq); ¿que él cambie de idea? mejor espera sentada him change his mind? some hope!; quien espera desespera — waiting's the worst part

no me esperaba eso de él — I didn't expect that of o from him

Ex: Comment published so far is favourable, but the code still awaits widespread adoption.

Ex: The difference is only that an indexer is not usually called upon to appreciate the subtleties of the subject to the same extent as an abstractor.

ocurrió unos momentos antes — it happened a few moments earlier o before

el edificio que habían comenzado dos años antes — the building that had been started two years before o previously

no te vayas sin antes consultarle — don't go without o before consulting her first, don't go without consulting her beforehand, don't go until you've consulted her

lo vio antes que yo — he saw it first o before I did o before me

• antes de algo — before sth

la cena estará lista para antes de las nueve — dinner will be ready by o before nine

una semana antes de la firma del contrato — a week before o prior to más frm signing the contract

• el año 27 antes de Cristo — 27 BC, 27 before Christ

• antes de hacer algo — before doing sth

antes de salir del coche, asegúrese de que están las ventanillas cerradas — before you get o before getting out of the car, make sure that the windows are closed

• mucho antes de algo — long before sth

mucho antes de conocerte — a long time before I met you o meeting you, long before I met you o meeting you más frm

• antes de o que nada — [en el tiempo] first of all; [indicando preferencia] above all

• poco antes de algo — just o shortly before sth

• antes de que — + subjun before

antes no pasaban estas cosas — these things didn't use to happen before o in the past

• de antes, nuestra casa de antes — our old house, our previous house

ya no soy el mismo de antes — I'm not the same person I was o I used to be

ya no se hacen películas como las de antes — they don't make films like they used to o like they did in the old days

no te he podido llamar antes — I couldn't call you sooner o earlier

• cuanto antes — as soon as possible

• lo antes posible — as soon as possible

cada vez se casan los hijos antes — kids get married at a younger o an earlier age these days

• antes de algo — before sth

no cederemos: antes gastamos todo nuestro dinero — we shall never give up: we would rather o sooner spend all our money

• antes bien, antes al contrario — but rather

• antes no — Chile, Méx just as well, luckily

vi lo furiosa que estaba, antes no te pegó — I saw how angry she was, just as well o luckily she didn't hit you

• antes que hacer algo — rather than doing sth

me lo deberías haber dicho antes — you should have told me before o earlier

llámame antes de salir — call me before leaving o you leave

antes me muero! — I'd rather o sooner die!

me lo deberías haber dicho antes — you should have told me before o earlier

llámame antes de salir — call me before leaving o you leave

antes me muero! — I'd rather o sooner die!

Ex: It will be a long time before all documents are available in machine-readable form.

Ex: These will be established in keeping with the principles established earlier.

juega como yo — he plays like me o like I do

como este hay pocos — there are few like this o him

tiene ventajas, como son la resistencia y durabilidad — it has advantages, such as o like strength and durability

hazlo como te dijo ella — do it like * o the way she told you

toca como canta — she plays like * o the same way as she sings

no es como me lo imaginaba — it isn't as o like * I imagined it

• tal como, tal como lo había planeado — just as o the way I had planned it

hazlo como quieras — do it however you want o like

• como sea — at all costs

había como cincuenta — there were about o around fifty

vino como a las dos — he came at about o around two

sentía como tristeza — she felt a sort o kind of sadness

como no tenía dinero — as o since I had no money

• tal (y) como están las cosas — the way things are, as things stand

• de tanto como, tienen las manos doloridas de tanto como aplaudieron — they clapped so much their hands hurt

• como no, como no lo haga en seguida... — if he doesn't do it at once..., unless he does it at once...

siguió leyendo, como si no hubiera oído nada — he kept on reading, as if o as though he hadn't heard

sentí como si fuera a caerme — I felt as if o as though I was about to fall

como si no hubiera pasado nada — as if o as though nothing had happened

se comporta como si me odiara — he behaves as if o as though he hated me

como si fuera a llover — as if o as though it was going to rain

a como dé o diera lugar — at any cost

en algunos lugares como Londres — in some places such as o like London

bailó como nunca — she danced as o like she'd never danced before

así como — (frml) as well as

como él solo/ella sola: es egoísta como él solo he's so o he's incredibly selfish!; como mucho/poco at (the) most/at least; como nadie: cocina como nadie nobody cooks like her; como que...: conduce muy bien - como que es piloto de carreras he drives very well - well, he is a racing driver, after all; y no me lo dijiste - como que no lo sabía! and you didn't tell me about it - that's because I didn't know about it!; como ser (CS) such as, for example; como si (+ subj) as if, as though; ella está grave y él como si nada or como si tal cosa — she's seriously ill and he doesn't seem at all o in the least worried

no voy - como quieras — I'm not going - please yourself o as you like

como era temprano, nos fuimos a dar una vuelta — since o as it was early, we went for a walk

cansado como estaba, me ayudó — tired though o tired as he was, he helped me

en algunos lugares como Londres — in some places such as o like London

bailó como nunca — she danced as o like she'd never danced before

así como — (frml) as well as

como él solo/ella sola: es egoísta como él solo he's so o he's incredibly selfish!; como mucho/poco at (the) most/at least; como nadie: cocina como nadie nobody cooks like her; como que...: conduce muy bien - como que es piloto de carreras he drives very well - well, he is a racing driver, after all; y no me lo dijiste - como que no lo sabía! and you didn't tell me about it - that's because I didn't know about it!; como ser (CS) such as, for example; como si (+ subj) as if, as though; ella está grave y él como si nada or como si tal cosa — she's seriously ill and he doesn't seem at all o in the least worried

no voy - como quieras — I'm not going - please yourself o as you like

como era temprano, nos fuimos a dar una vuelta — since o as it was early, we went for a walk

cansado como estaba, me ayudó — tired though o tired as he was, he helped me

Ex: This scheme aims for a more helpful order than the major schemes, by following the groupings of subjects as they are taught in schools.