présent
/pʁe.zɑ̃/
In French, 'attending' is expressed as présent.
The word présent is used to describe someone who is physically at a specific location or present at a place. Note that while it translates to 'attending' in the sense of being physically there, it is different from the English usage of 'attending' that implies actively participating in a specific event or a school course. For those specific contexts, French speakers often prefer terms like 'participant' or 'assistant'.
Meaning: that attend(s), attendant (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective présent must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use présente for feminine singular nouns, présents for masculine plural nouns and présentes for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /pʁe.zɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- While présent means 'attending' or 'present', it is also the French word for 'gift'. The meaning depends entirely on whether the word is used as an adjective or a noun.
- While présent refers to being physically attending, French speakers use the verb assister to describe attending a lecture or a concert. This is a 'false friend' because assister does not mean to help or assist in this context.
- When a teacher calls your name in a classroom, shouting présent can sometimes sound overly formal or stiff. To sound more like a local, it is much more natural to simply reply with ici, which means 'here'.
Examples in context
- J'assiste à la réunionI am attending the meeting.
- Je participe à la conférenceI am attending the conference.
- Je vais à la fête ce soirI am going to the party tonight.
- Je serai présent(e) à la cérémonie.I will be attending the ceremony.
- Nous participons à la réunion d'affaires.We are attending the business meeting.
- Ils assistent à l'exposition d'art.They are attending the art exhibition.
- Les invités présents sont tous très joyeux.The attending guests are all very joyful.
- Le nombre de personnes présentes a augmenté.The number of attending people has increased.
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are at a professional conference.
- LéaEst-ce que tous les délégués sont présents ?Are all the attending delegates here?
- LucasOui, les délégués présents sont déjà dans la salle.Yes, the attending delegates are already in the room.
- LéaC'est parfait, la réunion peut commencer.That is perfect, the meeting can begin.
- LucasJe vais chercher les dossiers maintenant.I will go get the files now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry présent, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
