j'assiste
The phrase "I attend" in French is translated as j'assiste.
Which one should you use?
While assister à means to attend or witness an event, it is important to distinguish it from the English sense of providing aid. If you mean to help someone, you should use aider instead of assister.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb to mean attending or being present at an event, it must be followed by the preposition à. For example, you would say j'assiste à… followed by the event.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use assister to mean "to help" (as in the English word "assist"). In French, assister à specifically means to be present at an event, whereas providing aid is expressed with aider.
Did you know?
- If you want to say you are attending a school or university, French speakers rarely use assister and instead use fréquenter, which literally means 'to frequent'.
- In French, the word assistance can refer to both the act of helping someone and the total number of people attending a gathering, depending on the context.
- The verb assister is deeply rooted in the idea of 'standing by' or 'standing beside' someone. This historical connection is why it can still mean to be present at a scene, even if you are not helping.
Examples in context
- J'assiste à des conférences scientifiques.I attend scientific conferences.This sentence is useful for showing how to use j'assiste with an event.Tatoeba #4595609 by sacredceltic, translation #1709195 by Amastan
- J'assiste à la réunion ce matin.I am attending the meeting this morning.
- J'assiste à un cours de yoga.I am attending a yoga class.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their schedules for the day.
- ManonJ'assiste à un atelier de dessin aujourd'hui.I am attending a drawing workshop today.
- LucasC'est super, Manon !That's great, Manon!
- ManonEt toi, Lucas, tu fais quoi ?And you, Lucas, what are you doing?
- LucasJe travaille toute la journée.I am working all day.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
