attendre
/a.tɑ̃dʁ/
To wait in French is attendre.
attendre means to stay in one place or delay action until a particular time or event happens. It is the most common and neutral way to express this idea in French.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person plural present indicative form of attendre is ils attendent (they wait / they are waiting).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of attendre is /a.tɑ̃dʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When saying 'to wait for someone', do not add the preposition 'pour'. While English uses 'for', attendre is a direct transitive verb in French. You should say attendre quelqu'un rather than adding 'pour'.
Did you know?
- The French word attendre is a distant relative of the English word 'attend'. While the French word means 'to wait', the English relative evolved to mean 'to be present at' or 'to look after'.
- If a French speaker says Attends ! while you are walking away, they aren't just asking you to wait, but are often using it as a way to say 'Hold on' or 'Wait a minute' to interrupt you.
- To say 'to wait' in a more formal or patient context, French speakers might use patienter. While attendre is neutral, patienter emphasizes the act of remaining calm while the delay occurs.
Examples in context
- Il te faut attendre.You've got to wait.This sentence shows how to use attendre to express necessity.Tatoeba #5424284 by sacredceltic, translation #5422657 by CK
- Dis à Tom d'attendre.Tell Tom to wait.This sentence shows how to use attendre in an imperative command.Tatoeba #3712353 by GB3, translation #3199826 by CK
- Tu dois les attendre.You need to wait for them.This sentence shows how to use attendre with a direct object.Tatoeba #8613009 by Aiji, translation #5222526 by AlanF_US
- Je vous prie d'attendre quelques instants.Please wait a few moments.
- Veuillez patienter un instant, s'il vous plaît.Please wait a moment, if you would.
- Je vous demande d'attendre votre tour.I ask you to wait your turn.
- Attends un peu, je reviens!Wait a bit, I'll be back!
- Je poireaute devant le cinéma.I'm waiting around in front of the cinema.
- Tu peux patienter un peu plus longtemps?Can you wait a little longer?
- 279 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are waiting for a bus.
- GabrielOn doit attendre le bus ici ?Do we have to wait for the bus here?
- ManonOui, il faut attendre à cet arrêt.Yes, we must wait at this stop.
- GabrielJe ne veux plus attendre.I don't want to wait anymore.
- ManonPatiente, Gabriel, il arrive bientôt.Be patient, Gabriel, it's coming soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry attendre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries attendre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
