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In Spanish, “pending” is usually “pendiente,” with other choices like “en espera” or “por confirmar” when the situation calls for it.
You see “pending” everywhere: a payment screen, a shipment tracker, a school portal, a ticket, a visa form. In English it’s one word that handles a lot. In Spanish, the best match depends on what’s pending.
You’ll get the translations that show up in real apps and documents, plus the grammar that stops clunky phrasing.
If you’re translating a single button, keep it short; if you’re writing to a person, spell out what’s missing.
What “Pending” Means Before You Translate It
“Pending” can describe a status, a task, or a decision that hasn’t happened yet. It can also mean something is waiting on a step: review, approval, payment, a signature, a document, a reply.
Spanish often marks that dependency with de. English says “pending review.” Spanish often says pendiente de revisión.
Quick rule Of thumb
If “pending” works like an adjective in English (a pending charge, a pending request), Spanish often uses pendiente as an adjective too. If you mean “waiting” as a state, Spanish often uses en espera.
How To Say ‘Pending’ In Spanish For Forms And Statuses
Pendiente is the default translation when you want a compact status label. It fits dashboards, menus, and short UI strings. It also works in full sentences.
“Pendiente” As an adjective
Meaning: pending, unsettled, not finished.
- El pago está pendiente. The payment is pending.
- Tengo una tarea pendiente. I have an open task.
- La solicitud sigue pendiente. The request is still pending.
Match gender And number
Pendiente changes for plural, not for gender in singular. You’ll see:
- pendiente (singular)
- pendientes (plural)
Las aprobaciones están pendientes. The approvals are pending.
Use “Pendiente de …” For “Pending + noun”
When English says “pending review/approval/payment,” Spanish often uses pendiente de plus a noun or infinitive.
- Pendiente de revisión (pending review)
- Pendiente de aprobación (pending approval)
- Pendiente de pago (pending payment)
- Pendiente de entrega (pending delivery)
When you’re waiting On a person
Use pendiente de with a name or role when a next step depends on someone.
- Estoy pendiente de tu respuesta. I’m waiting on your reply.
- Queda pendiente del gerente. It’s pending with the manager.
Other Natural Ways To Say “Pending” In Spanish
Pendiente handles a lot, but not all situations. When you need a different shade of meaning, these options fit cleanly.
“En espera” For “Waiting” Status
En espera maps well to “waiting” or “on hold.” It’s common in queues and process steps.
- Su caso está en espera. Your case is pending / on hold.
- Pedido en espera Order pending
- En espera de confirmación Waiting for confirmation
“Por confirmar” For Unconfirmed Details
Use por confirmar when something is not locked in yet: dates, seats, schedule items, reservations.
- Hora por confirmar Time pending
- Reserva por confirmar Reservation pending
- Detalles por confirmar Details pending
“En trámite” For Requests Being processed
En trámite fits official processes: paperwork, permits, claims, immigration steps, university paperwork.
- Solicitud en trámite Application pending
- Documento en trámite Document in process
“Sin resolver” For Issues Not settled Yet
When “pending” points to an open issue, sin resolver can fit better than pendiente.
- Incidencia sin resolver Unresolved issue
- Caso sin resolver Unresolved case
“A la espera de …” For “Awaiting …” In writing
A la espera de is common in emails and formal notes.
- Quedo a la espera de su confirmación. I’m awaiting your confirmation.
- Estamos a la espera de los documentos. We’re awaiting the documents.
Pick The Best Translation By Scenario
If you’re building a UI label, short is better. If you’re writing a sentence, clarity matters more than brevity.
Payments And banking
Payment pages often need precision: pending charge, pending refund, pending transfer.
- Cargo pendiente (pending charge)
- Reembolso pendiente (pending refund)
- Transferencia pendiente (pending transfer)
- Pendiente de pago (awaiting payment)
If the action is waiting on the user, pendiente de pago is clear. If it’s a bank-side state, cargo pendiente works.
Shipping And orders
Tracking pages use compact labels. These are common pairings:
- Pedido pendiente Order pending
- Pendiente de envío Pending shipment
- Pendiente de entrega Pending delivery
- En espera On hold
School And study portals
In education, “pending” often means missing work, an ungraded submission, or a request waiting for staff review.
- Entrega pendiente Pending submission
- Calificación pendiente Grade pending
- Pendiente de revisión Pending review
- Solicitud en trámite Request being processed
Customer service Tickets
Tickets often sit in a queue, waiting on an agent or on the customer.
- Pendiente de respuesta del cliente Waiting on customer reply
- Pendiente de respuesta del agente Waiting on agent reply
- En espera On hold
Common “Pending” Phrases And The Spanish You’ll See
These English status labels map to Spanish phrases that read natural on websites, apps, and documents.
| English label | Spanish option | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | Pendiente | General status label |
| Pending review | Pendiente de revisión | Waiting for staff or system review |
| Pending approval | Pendiente de aprobación | Waiting for an approval step |
| Pending payment | Pendiente de pago | User must pay, or payment not cleared |
| Pending confirmation | En espera de confirmación / Por confirmar | Details not confirmed yet |
| Pending shipment | Pendiente de envío | Order placed, shipping not started |
| Pending delivery | Pendiente de entrega | Outbound process underway, not delivered |
| Pending refund | Reembolso pendiente | Refund requested, not completed |
| Pending documents | Documentos pendientes | Missing paperwork |
Grammar Notes That Stop Common Mistakes
A good translation is more than swapping a word. These checks keep your Spanish clean.
Say it out loud
Pendiente is pronounced roughly pehn-DYEN-teh, with the stress on the middle syllable. If you say it fast, the dien part glides together. In texts and labels you’ll see it alone, but in speech people often add a verb: está pendiente, sigue pendiente. If you want to sound natural, don’t over-pronounce each letter. Aim for one smooth word.
Don’t confuse “Pendiente” With “Pendiente de”
Pendiente alone is a status. Pendiente de points to what it’s waiting on.
- El trámite está pendiente. The process is pending.
- El trámite está pendiente de revisión. The process is pending review.
Watch the other meaning: “Pendiente” As a noun
In everyday Spanish, un pendiente can mean an earring. Context keeps it clear. Status labels, forms, and verbs like estar make the “pending” sense obvious.
- Estoy pendiente. I’m paying attention / I’m on it.
- Tengo pendientes. I have pending tasks.
Use the right verb: “Está” vs “Queda”
Both can work. Está pendiente is neutral. Queda pendiente often means “it remains pending” and can feel slightly more formal.
- La solicitud está pendiente.
- La solicitud queda pendiente de aprobación.
Plural status lines
Many apps show lists of items. If the subject is plural, make pendientes plural too.
- Pagos pendientes
- Solicitudes pendientes
- Documentos pendientes
Ready-To-Use Lines For Messages And Emails
These templates work for school, work, and everyday admin tasks. Swap the bracketed part to match your case.
Short status update
- Está pendiente de [revisión/aprobación/pago].
- Sigue pendiente.
- Está en espera.
Polite follow-up
- Quedo a la espera de su respuesta.
- ¿Podría confirmarme si ya está aprobado?
- Gracias por revisar mi solicitud.
If you need the “pending” label In a list
- Pendiente
- Por confirmar
- En trámite
- En espera
Table Of Fast Picks By Task Type
This table gives you a starting point, then you can adjust based on tone and audience.
| Task type | Spanish pick | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Generic pending status | Pendiente | Works in most dashboards and lists |
| Waiting for review | Pendiente de revisión | Clear when a person or system must check it |
| Waiting for approval | Pendiente de aprobación | Common in HR, school, admin forms |
| Waiting for payment | Pendiente de pago | Signals the next action is payment |
| Not confirmed yet | Por confirmar | Great for schedules, bookings, itineraries |
| In process | En trámite | Good for official paperwork and requests |
| On hold | En espera | Use when it’s paused or queued |
Mini Practice: Turn English Into Natural Spanish
Practice locks the patterns in. Try these as quick drills. Say them out loud, then write them once.
Drill set
- “Your application is pending review.”
Respuesta: Su solicitud está pendiente de revisión. - “The reservation is pending confirmation.”
Respuesta: La reserva está por confirmar. - “My refund is pending.”
Respuesta: Mi reembolso está pendiente. - “We’re waiting on your documents.”
Respuesta: Estamos a la espera de sus documentos. - “The order is on hold.”
Respuesta: El pedido está en espera.
Small Details That Make Your Spanish Sound Natural
Small choices can make your Spanish read like it came from a native interface or a polished message.
Prefer nouns For labels
UI labels often drop articles. That’s normal in Spanish too.
- Pendiente de pago (label style)
- El pago está pendiente (sentence style)
Use accents where they belong
Most “pending” phrases here don’t need accent marks, but your surrounding text might. If you write aprobación, keep the accent. If you write trámite, keep the accent.
Keep tone consistent
If your message uses usted, stay with it. If it uses tú, stay with that. Mixing them can feel sloppy.
Common Translation Traps To Avoid
These are the mistakes that show up when someone translates word-for-word from English.
Trap 1: Using only “Esperando” As a status label
Esperando means “waiting,” but as a lone label it can feel incomplete. En espera is often the cleaner status word, and en espera de names what’s missing.
Trap 2: Overusing “Pendiente” When you mean “Unconfirmed”
If the real meaning is “not confirmed,” por confirmar is the sharper pick.
Trap 3: Forgetting the “De” In dependent phrases
Pendiente revisión looks like a direct copy from English. Add the de: pendiente de revisión.
Closing Check: What To Use When You’re Not Sure
If you need one safe word, choose pendiente. Then ask: “Pending of what?” If the next word is a noun like review, approval, or payment, write pendiente de plus that noun. If the meaning is “to be confirmed,” use por confirmar. If the meaning is “in process,” use en trámite. If the meaning is “on hold,” use en espera.
Once you link the English meaning to the Spanish pattern, “pending” stops being a guessing game and starts feeling like a set of clean, repeatable choices.